Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 The Library of Congress 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/virginislandsourOObooy 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 OUR NEW POSSESSIONS 
 AND THE BRITISH ISLANDS 
 
By JOHN T. FARIS 
 
 OLD ROADS 
 OUT OF PHILADELPHIA 
 
 117 ILLUSTRATIONS AND A MAP 
 DECORATED CLOTH, OCTAVO, $4.00 NET 
 
 The roads out of Philadelphia are the most historic 
 in America. Such names as The Battle of Brandy- 
 wine, Valley Forge and Militia Hill suggest the 
 fascination of the roads leading from Philadelphia. 
 The author presents the past and the present of 
 ten of these highways: The King's Highway, The 
 Baltimore Turnpike, The West Chester Road, The 
 Lancaster Turnpike, The Gulph Road, The Ridge 
 Road, The Germantown Turnpike, The Bethlehem 
 Road, The Old York Road, and The Bristol Turn- 
 pike. Profuse illustrations and a stimulating text 
 make the book a prize for the walker, the auto- 
 mobilist and the local historian. 
 
 THE ROMANCE 
 OF OLD PHILADELPHIA 
 
 IN PREPARATION 
 UNIFORM WITH THE ABOVE 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 OUR NEW POSSESSIONS 
 
 AND THE BRITISH ISLANDS 
 
 Wo>.<^ 
 
 A.^^-; 
 
 ■.■<JX-' 
 
 THEODOOR DEBOOY 
 
 AND 
 
 JOHN T. FARIS 
 
 AUTHOR OF "old HOADS OUT OF PHILADELPHIA," "HEAL BTOBIES FBOM OUB 
 HISTORY," "makers OF OUR HISTORY," ETC. 
 
 WITH 97 ILLUSTRATIONS AND 5 MAPS 
 ESPECIALLY PREPARED FOR THIS VOLUMB 
 
 PHILADELPHIA & LONDON 
 J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 
 
 1918 
 

 COPTBIGHT, 1 91 8, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COUF^NY 
 
 PUBLISHED MAY, I918 
 
 To Replace loot copy 
 
 f 
 
 s 
 
 x 
 
 PRINTED BT J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANT 
 
 AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRB88 
 
 PHILADELPHIA, U. S. A. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 THE authors of this volume have tried to 
 put into concise form the facts concern- 
 ing the story, the present conditions and 
 the possibiHties of the Virgin Islands of the United 
 States for the tourist and the business man as 
 well as for those who must be content, for the 
 time being, at least, to make their journeys to 
 the West Indies in imagination. At the same time, 
 the attempt has been made to weave into the 
 fascinating story something of the romance that 
 cannot be separated from the thought of the islands 
 in the mind of one who has had the pleasing experi- 
 ence of spending in these newest possessions of the 
 United States a winter that was the culmination 
 of a number of seasons on other islands of the 
 dreamy Caribbean. 
 
 The absorbing history of the Virgin Islands is 
 told in sufficient detail to enable the reader to 
 understand by what a devious road they came at 
 length into the possession of the country to which 
 they logically belong. Without this historical 
 setting it would be impossible to tell also of the 
 
PREFACE 
 
 rise and decline of the commerce of the islands 
 and of the reasons for the conviction that there 
 is a great commercial future before them. 
 
 The book would be incomplete without a 
 chapter on the islands of the Virgin group which 
 are under the flag of Great Britain. Then a 
 chapter of definite suggestions to those who are 
 planning a trip to St. Thomas, St. John and St. 
 Croix is a needed supplement to the portions of 
 the book which tell in detail of the attractions of 
 the islands and of their great value as a resort for 
 visitors from the United States, while a chapter of 
 condensed agricultural, shipping and banking in- 
 formation, quoted from the government documents, 
 completes the volume. 
 
 A careful study has been made of such litera- 
 ture as has appeared on the islands. These publi- 
 cations are described in the Bibliography. Facts 
 gained from these sources supplemented the careful 
 observations made by Mr. deBooy, who spent 
 the winter of 1916-1917 on the islands while com- 
 pelling them to yield the secrets of a vanished 
 race which for centuries have been buried deep 
 in the earth. The archeological work, of which 
 glimpses are given in the volume, was conducted 
 for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye 
 4 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Foundation, in which may be seen many specimens 
 secured from the kitchen-middens of the Virgin 
 Islands. 
 
 Kitchen-middens are responsible for the prepa- 
 ration of this volume. Having become interested 
 some years ago in the waste heaps built up at 
 pre-historic back doors which the archeologist 
 calls kitchen-middens, I welcomed the opportunity 
 to talk of these absorbing relics of the past pre- 
 sented when I made the acquaintance of Mr. 
 de Booy in the West Indies, where he has spent a 
 number of winters in scientific exploration. His 
 fascinating stories of experiences in the islands of 
 the Caribbean led me to urge him to write this 
 volume. He consented only on the condition that 
 the book should be prepared jointly. 
 
 The acknowledgments of the authors are due 
 to the writers and publishers of the books and 
 papers named in the Bibliography, as well as to the 
 "Geographical Review," the "Scientific American 
 Supplement" and "Forward," for permission to use 
 illustrations which appeared first in these periodi- 
 cals, as well as for portions of the material which 
 accompanied the illustrations. 
 
 The courtesy of E. M. Newman in granting 
 the use, for the volume, of photographs taken by 
 
 5 
 
PREFACE 
 
 himself is acknowledged. Mr. Newman, at the 
 time of the transfer of the islands from Denmark to 
 the United States, was m Charlotte-Amalia, gath- 
 ering material for "one of his famous travelogues. 
 WilhamT. Demarest also has supplied a num- 
 ber of photographs which he took in October, 1917. 
 The authors thank him for his help. 
 
 With the exception of photographs otherwise 
 credited, all illustrations are from originals made 
 in the islands by Mr. de Booy. 
 
 Especial thanks are due to the American Geo- 
 graphical Society of New York for the interest 
 shown in the authors' undertaking. The splendid 
 hbrary of this institution was freely placed at 
 their disposal and the maps used in the volume 
 were made and compiled under its careful super- 
 vision. And grateful homage is paid to the kindly 
 inhabitants of the former Danish West Indies, who 
 know so well how to make a visitor in their midst 
 feel at home, and to the Danish officials who ruled 
 the islands when the Dannebrog still waved over 
 them. 
 
 p„„ r John T. Faris 
 
 i'HiLADELPHiA, January, 1918 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. FROM DENMARK TO THE UNITED STATES . 15 
 
 Nine nations in the West Indies — ^The story of the 
 eUmination of Denmark — Why the treaty of 1867 
 failed — ^The Dannebrog gives way to the Stars and 
 Stripes — ^The value of the American purchase — 
 Provision for the government of the islands — Future 
 possible purchases and what they would mean to 
 the United States and the Panama Canal. 
 
 II. GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS . . 34 
 
 The story told by old pottery — ^The naming of the 
 islands — ^Natives attack the soldiers of Columbus 
 — ^Extermination of the natives and the coming of 
 Europeans — ^The emancipation of the slaves. 
 
 III. ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS . 46 
 
 Ups and downs of the first colonists — Governor 
 Iversen's stringent regulations — ^When sugar dis- 
 placed tobacco — "On the way to every other place'* 
 — Bombarding a cliff instead of a ship — ^The color 
 scheme of Charlotte-Amalia — ^The signalman's di- 
 lemma — ^A healthy island's most fatal disease — ^The 
 night of the hurricane. 
 
 IV. RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA . 70 
 
 Picturesque coal carriers — Why English is the popu- 
 lar language — ^How the "reconciling-court" dis- 
 courages fitigation — Churches and schools — Streets, 
 gutters and hills — The fables of four hill tops — 
 Buccaneers, Blackbeard and Bluebeard — ^Why the 
 guns were fired — ^Hospitality and flowers — Water 
 front activity. 
 
 7 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 V. THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS ... 98 
 
 To "Ma Folic" on ponyback — ^Finding hidden 
 treasures on the shores of Magens Bay — What the 
 kitchen-middens revealed — ^An abandoned sugar 
 estate and a ruined mission station — A hunters* 
 paradise — ^More abandoned estates and a haunted 
 ruin — Curious cemetery ornaments — ^The "grave- 
 yard of ships" and a ghostly array of figure-heads 
 — Escaping slaves and picturesque "cha-chas." 
 
 VI. THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN ... 123 
 
 In the days of Company rule — ^Adventures of the 
 first settlers — ^Encouragements to growers of sugar- 
 cane — ^The harsh measures that incited a slave 
 insurrection — A captured fort, a siege relieved, and 
 guerilla warfare — ^The aftermath of the rebellion 
 — Increasing population. 
 
 VII. AROUND ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST 
 
 LINE 134 
 
 The physical features of St. John — Marketing by 
 sailboat — ^The naming of K. C. Bay — ^The mistake 
 of the Coral Bay boomers — ^An attractive climate 
 — ^An island whose prosperous days are in the future. 
 
 VIII. THE CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN 
 ISLANDS 144 
 
 Reminders of former riches — Commercial and agri- 
 cultural possibilities — The making of bay rum — 
 Cattle raising and fishing — ^The story of the petro- 
 glyphs — Scenery and ruins to delight the visitor — 
 The cross at Reef Bay — ^Legends of slavery days 
 — ^Treasures of old furniture — ^The possibilities of ^ 
 St. John. 
 8 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 IX. THE CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 172 
 
 Why the tongues of Sir Walter Raleigh's men 
 became "bigge" — A subtle method of poisoning — 
 A joint occupation that led to murder — ^A startling 
 succession of owners, plots, and counterplots — A 
 blufiP that succeeded — A visitor who died of morti- 
 fication — A conflagration that promoted health — 
 An abandoned island rescued by Denmark — A 
 symbolic transfer of titles— Out of the clutches of 
 an exploiting company. 
 
 X. THE STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX ... 190 
 
 Slave insurrections — Freeing the slaves — ^The fight 
 for unconditional freedom — ^Teaching the negroes 
 to work— Quieting the rioters of 1878— Dealing 
 with disgruntled laborers — Improving industrial 
 conditions — Prosperity and increased wages — Giv- 
 ing the natives their due — Physical features of the 
 island — ^Remarkable fertility of the soil. 
 
 XI. THE CHARACTER AND THE POSSIBILITIES 
 
 OF ST. CROIX 200 
 
 The hurricane of 1772— Alexander Hamilton's 
 famous description — ^Sugar cultivation and sea- 
 island cotton possibilities — Suggestions for increased 
 production — Cattle raising and fine horses. 
 
 XII. ON "THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES" . 211 
 
 Frederiksted and Christiansted— The bustle of 
 steamer day — Island communication, steamers and 
 saiHng vessels — ^The romantic story of the Vigilant 
 — Alexander Hamilton, the Christiansted clerk — 
 Roads and motor cars — The ruins on the sugar 
 plantations— Why deer are plenty — Columbus' tree- 
 growing oysters — What the excavator learns from 
 
 kitchen-middens. 
 
 9 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 XIII. A VISIT TO THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 231 
 
 Buccaneers and rebels — A ruler who is jack-of-all- 
 trades — ^Tortola and the surrounding cays — Why 
 the sailors of Jost Van Dyke drown — ^Victims of the 
 proprietors — ^The attractions of Tortola — ^The di- 
 verting story of Audain — Virgin Gorda and its 
 peninsulas — ^Anegada,"the Drowned Island" — ^Men 
 who live on shipwrecks. 
 
 XIV. HINTS FOR THE TOURIST 247 
 
 The clothing a man should carry with him — What 
 the woman visitor needs — ^Why silks are useless — 
 Routes and rates of fare — ^Hotels and boarding 
 houses — Other advantages — ^The land where sou- 
 venirs are unknown. 
 
 XV. DETAILED AGRICULTURAL, COM- 
 MERCIAL, SHIPPING AND BANKING 
 INFORMATION 256 
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY 334 
 
 INDEX ggg 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 View of Charlotte- Amalia Frontispiece 
 
 United States Sailors Landing at Charlotte- 
 
 Amalia 24 
 
 Landing Dock, Charlotte- Amalia 25 
 
 Cowell's Battery 30 
 
 Christian's Fort, Charlotte-Amalia 30 
 
 Christian's Fort, from the Harbor 31 
 
 Danish Cruiser " Valkyrien" 31 
 
 Mosquito Bay, St. Thomas 40 
 
 Water Bay and Native 40 
 
 Aboriginal Pottery 41 
 
 North Coast of St. Thomas 41 
 
 St. Thomas Harbor and Charlotte-Amalia 52 
 
 Entrance to St. Thomas Harbor 53 
 
 Front Entrance of Christian's Fort 58 
 
 Signal Station, Top of Cowell's Battery 58 
 
 Battlements of Christian's Fort 59 
 
 Coaling Wharf of the West India Company, Ltd. 59 
 
 Canaan Estate House, after the Hurricane 68 
 
 Hamburg- American Line Offices and Dredge, "St. 
 
 Hilda" 68 
 
 Firing Time-Gun Battery, Charlotte-Amalia 69 
 
 Lutheran Church, Charlotte-Amalia 69 
 
 Blackbeard's Castle (wood-cut in text) 69 
 
 A Hilly Street, Charlotte-Amalia 72 
 
 Typical Coal Carriers, Charlotte-Amalia 73 
 
 Custom House and Post Office, Charlotte-Amalia 73 
 
 Reformed Dutch Church, Charlotte-Amalia 78 
 
 11 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Christ Church, Wesleyan, Charlotte- Amalia 78 
 
 Memorial Church, Moravian, Charlotte- Amalia . . 79 
 All Saints' Anglican Church, Charlotte- Amalia . . 79 
 Ballroom, Governor's Residence, Charlotte- 
 
 Amalia 82 
 
 Residence of Governor and Administration Build- 
 ing, Charlotte-Amalia 83 
 
 Old Residence and Gateway, Charlotte-Amalia . . 98 
 
 Panoramic View of St. Thomas Harbor 99 
 
 Mountain Path Leading to Ma Folie, St. Thomas . . 102 
 
 Panoramic View of Magens Bay, St. Thomas 103 
 
 Cross Section of Aboriginal Mound, Magens Bay, 
 
 St. Thomas 106 
 
 King Road, Near Magens Bay 106 
 
 Clearing Land by Fire, Magens Bay 107 
 
 Laborers Excavating, Magens Bay 107 
 
 Ruins of Stairway, New Hernhut, St. Thomas... 110 
 
 Ruins of New Hernhut HO 
 
 Rums OF Mandal Estate, St. Thomas Hi 
 
 Negro Fishing with Casting Net m 
 
 A "Gut" and Street Made Like a Stairway, St. 
 
 Thomas hq 
 
 Native Grave Ornamented with Conch Shells, 
 
 St. Thomas Hg 
 
 Figure-Heads in Krum Bay Shipyard 117 
 
 Krum Bay with Shipyard and Coconut Trees De- 
 stroyed BY Hurricane 117 
 
 Cruz Bay Settlement and Government Station. . . 124 
 
 Moravian Settlement of Emmaus, St. John 125 
 
 Ruin of K. C. Bay Sugar Estate, St. John 136 
 
 Fort Frederiksted, St. Croix 136 
 
 Coral Bay, Tortola (British) in Distance 137 
 
 Ram's Head, South Coast, St. John 148 
 
 East End, St. John I49 
 
 12 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Bat-oil Still, St, John 149 
 
 Hospitable Congo Cay, St. John 156 
 
 The Only Landing Place on Congo Cay 156 
 
 Privateer Bay, St. John 157 
 
 Buildings on Caroline Estate and Bay-oil Still, 
 
 St. John 157 
 
 Petroglyphs on Congo Cay 164 
 
 The Caroline Estate, House and Pasture, St. John 164 
 The Cross That is Not a Cross, Reef Bay, St. John 165 
 
 Indian Petroglyphs, Reef Bay 165 
 
 Wharf and Old Fort, Coral Bay, St. John 170 
 
 Hermitage Estate, St. John 170 
 
 A Native Family 188 
 
 Danish Sugar Mill, St. Croix 189 
 
 A School in St. Croix 189 
 
 Street Scene in Frederiksted 201 
 
 Wharf, Christiansted, St. Croix 212 
 
 Wharf with Cargo from Coaling Steamer, St. 
 
 Croix 213 
 
 Street in Frederiksted, St. Croix 218 
 
 Lutheran Church and Adjoining Houses, 
 
 Christiansted, St. Croix 219 
 
 Schooner "Vigilant" at Wharf, Christiansted, 
 
 St. Croix 219 
 
 Reef at Mouth of Salt River, St. Croix 226 
 
 Roots of Mangrove Tree, with Oysters, Salt 
 
 River 226 
 
 Aboriginal Pottery Vessel as Found in the Earth 227 
 Typical Old Watch House on Sugar Estate, St. 
 
 Croix 227 
 
 Panoramic View from St. John of Jost Van Dyke 
 
 and Tortola Islands (British) 232 
 
 Bays on North Coast of St. John, with Thatch 
 
 Island and Jost Van Dyke (British) in Distance 233 
 
 13 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 The British Island of Tortola, from St. John . . . 242 
 
 Turn-out with Native Driver 243 
 
 North Coast of St. Thomas, with Thatch Island 
 AND British Islands of Tobago and Little 
 Tobago in Distance 243 
 
 Bluebeard's Castle at Top of Luchetti's Hill, 
 
 Charlotte-Amalia, St. Thomas 248 
 
 The Barracks, Charlotte-Amalia 248 
 
 In the Market Place, Charlotte-Amalia 249 
 
 Governor's Residence on Government Hill, 
 
 Charlotte-Amalia 252 
 
 Grand Hotel, Charlotte-Amalia 253 
 
 The Main Street, Charlotte-Amalia 260 
 
 A Business Street in Charlotte-Amalia 261 
 
 On the Shore, Charlotte-Amalia 266 
 
 U. S. S. "Itasca," on the Floating Dock, St. Thomas 267 
 
 Street in Front of Government House, Charlotte- 
 Amalia 267 
 
 Water Front Entrance to Christian's Fort, and 
 Balcony of Residence in the Fort, Charlotte- 
 Amalia 272 
 
 Road in Front of Christian's Fort and Typical 
 
 St. Thomas Cab, Charlotte-Amalia 273 
 
 Colonial Bank and Main Street, Charlotte- 
 Amalia 273 
 
 The Market Place, Charlotte-Amalia 276. 
 
 MAPS 
 
 FACING PAGE 
 
 The West Indies 15 
 
 The Virgin Islands 35 
 
 St. Thomas 47 
 
 St. John 135 
 
 St. Croix 173 
 
242 
 243 
 
 243 
 
 248 
 
 m 
 
 253 
 260 
 261 
 266 
 267 
 
 267 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 FROM DENMARK TO THE UNITED STATES 
 
 NINE NATIONS IN THE WEST INDIES— THE STORY OF THE 
 ELIMINATION OF DENMARK— WHY THE TREATY OF 1867 
 FAILED— THE DANNEBROG GIVES WAY TO THE STARS AND 
 STRIPES— THE VALUE OF THE AMERICAN PURCHASE— PRO- 
 VISION FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE ISLANDS— FUTURE 
 POSSIBLE PURCHASES AND WHAT THEY WOULD MEAN TO 
 THE UNITED STATES AND THE PANAMA CANAL 
 
 UNTIL 1898 nine nations were represented 
 in the West Indies. Of these, Spain, 
 Great Britain, France, the Netherlands 
 and Denmark were European nations; Hayti, 
 Santo Domingo, Venezuela and the United States, 
 were American nations. The latter two are in- 
 cluded in this list, as the peninsula of Florida may 
 rightly be said to belong to the Antillean area, 
 whereas Venezuela can claim to belong to the 
 West Indies by the fact that it owns the islands 
 of Margarita, Coche, Cubagua, and a few other 
 unimportant cays, all of which lie in the Caribbean 
 Sea. 
 
 On the conclusion of the Spanish-American 
 war, the United States took the place of Spain in 
 
 15 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Porto Rico, and a new nation, the Republic of 
 Cuba, was created. By the ceding of its American 
 colonial possessions, Spain was eliminated as a 
 European nation holding colonies in the American 
 hemisphere. 
 
 On March 31, 1917, the United States took 
 formal possession of the Danish West Indies, by 
 far the larger portion of the Virgin Islands. The 
 history of the sale and the transfer of these islands 
 is somewhat involved. 
 
 During the Civil War in the United States the 
 lack of a naval station in the West Indies was a 
 serious hindrance to those who sought to prevent 
 the blockade-running of the Southern States. 
 Consequently, on the conclusion of the war, 
 American diplomats sought to secure a stronghold 
 in the Caribbean. The Danish West Indies were 
 chosen as a likely spot, partly because it was felt 
 that Denmark — owing to the reverses which this 
 small nation had undergone, and the losses which 
 she had suffered in her war with Prussia — might 
 be induced to welcome the sale with open arms. 
 Mr. Seward, who was then Secretary of State of 
 the United States, secured a preliminary survey 
 of the islands in 1866. After a personal visit he 
 16 
 
FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES 
 
 seemed more determined than ever to obtain 
 St. Thomas and St. John for the United States, 
 and he was prepared to pay for these islands 
 $5,000,000. St. Croix was regarded as a separate 
 venture, and was offered for a like amount, on 
 condition that the government of France, which 
 might object to the sale owing to the conditions 
 of a treaty made in 1733, should allow the 
 transfer to take place. 
 
 At last, in October 1867, a treaty was concluded 
 for the purchase of St. Thomas and St. John for 
 $7,500,000, subject to the consent of both the 
 Danish Landsthing (Senate) and the Senate of the 
 United States. A popular vote was taken on the 
 islands to see if the inhabitants were desirous of 
 transferring their allegiance to a new flag. When 
 the returns were counted the inhabitants, by the 
 practically unanimous vote of 1244 to 22, showed 
 their approval of the proposed transfer. The 
 Danish Parliament then consented to the treaty, 
 and nothing was required to complete the sale 
 but a ratification by the United States Senate. 
 
 In fact, the proposed sale seemed so certain 
 that on November 27, 1867, the following royal 
 proclamation appeared in the St. Thomas "Tid- 
 2 17 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 ende," the paper wliich published the oflScial 
 government notices: 
 
 We, Christian the Ninth, 
 
 By the Grace of God, King of Denmark, the Van- 
 dals and the Goths, Duke of Sleswig, Holstein, Storn- 
 mam, Ditmarsh, Lauenborg and Oldenborg. Send to 
 Our beloved and faithful Subjects in the Islands of 
 St. Thomas and St. John Our Royal Greeting. 
 
 We have resolved to cede Our Islands of St. Thomas 
 and St. John to the United States of America, and We 
 have to that end, with the reservation of the consti- 
 tutional consent of Our Rigsdag, concluded a conven- 
 tion with the President of the United States. We have, 
 by embodying in that convention explicit and precise 
 provisions, done Our utmost to secure to You protec- 
 tion in Your liberty. Your religion. Your property and 
 private rights, and You shall be free to remain where 
 you now reside, or to remain, retaining the property 
 which You possess in the said Islands or disposing 
 thereof and removing the proceeds wherever You 
 please, without Your being subjected on this account 
 to any contribution, charge, or tax whatever. 
 
 Those who shall prefer to remain in the Islands, 
 
 may either retain the title and the rights of their natural 
 
 allegiance or acquire those of Citizens of the United 
 
 States, but they shall make their choice within two 
 
 18 
 
FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES 
 
 ears from the date of the exchange of ratifications of 
 aid convention, and those who shall remain on the 
 slands after the expiration of that term without having 
 eclared their intention to retain their natural allegi- 
 nce, shall be considered to have chosen to become 
 itizens of the United States. 
 
 As We, however, will not exercise any constraint over 
 )ur faithful subjects. We will give You the opportunity 
 f freely and extensively expressing your wishes in regard 
 o this cession, and We have to that effect given the nec- 
 ssary instructions to Our Commissioners Extraordinary. 
 
 With sincere sorrow do we look forward to the 
 evering of those ties which for many years have united 
 fou to Us, and never forgetting those many demon- 
 trations of loyalty and affection We have received 
 rom You, We trust that nothing has been neglected 
 n Our side to secure the future welfare of Our beloved 
 nd faithful Subjects, and that a mighty impulse, both 
 aoral and material, will be given to the happy develop- 
 aent of the Islands, under the new Sovereignty. 
 
 Commending you to God ! 
 
 Given at Our Palace of Amalienborg, the 25th 
 
 October 1867. 
 
 Under Our Royal Hand and Seal. 
 
 Christian R. 
 
 L. S. 
 
 Royal Proclamation to the Inhabitants of 
 
 St. Thomas and St. John. 
 
 19 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 But the treaty was deliberately pigeon-holed 
 in the Senate, owing to internal dissent for which 
 Senator Charles Sumner was principally respon- 
 sible, probably at least in part, because of his 
 personal enmity towards President Johnson. Den- 
 mark granted an extension of time for the ratifi- 
 cation of the sale, but the matter was not again 
 taken up, despite the efforts of Secretary Seward 
 and of his successor. Secretary Fish. Finally, on 
 April 14, 1870, the proposed treaty lapsed 
 automatically. 
 
 The Danish king made a dignified proclamation 
 announcing that the sale of the islands had fallen 
 through : 
 
 We, Christian the Ninth, 
 
 By the grace of God, King of Denmark, the Van- 
 dals and the Goths, Duke of Sleswig, Holstein, Storn- 
 mam, Ditmarsh, Lauenborg and Oldenborg, send to 
 Our beloved and faithful subjects in the Islands of St. 
 Thomas and St. John, Our Royal Greeting. 
 
 You are aware of the motives that actuated Us 
 at the time to give ear to the repeated and urgent 
 requests of the North American Government for the 
 cession of St. Thomas and St. John to the United States. 
 We expected that We, in that manner, should have 
 20 
 
FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES 
 
 been able to lighten Our realm of the heavy burdens 
 incurred by the then recently terminated war, and We 
 hoped that the annexation to the United States would 
 have afforded the islands advantages so important that 
 they could have contributed to soothe the pain which 
 a separation necessarily must cause in the Colonies, 
 no less than in the Mother Country. You, for your 
 part, and the Danish Diet, on the part of the King- 
 dom, have concurred in these views, and We all met 
 in the mutual readiness to accommodate ourselves 
 to what appeared to Us to be recommended by the 
 circumstances. 
 
 Unexpected obstacles have arisen to the realization 
 of this idea, and released Us from Our pledged word. 
 The American Senate has not shown itself willing to 
 maintain the treaty made, although the initiative for 
 it proceeded from the United States themselves. Ready 
 as We were to subdue the feelings of Our heart, when 
 We thought that duty bade Us so to do, yet We cannot 
 otherwise than feel a satisfaction that circumstances 
 have relieved Us from making a sacrifice which, not- 
 withstanding the advantages held out, would always 
 have been painful to Us. We are convinced that You 
 share these sentiments and that it is with a lightened 
 heart You are relieved from the consent, which only 
 at Our request you gave to a separation of the islands 
 from the Danish crown. 
 
 21 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 In, therefore, making known to you tliat the Con- 
 vention made on the 24th of October, 1867, for the 
 cession of the Islands of St. Thomas and St. John to 
 the United States of America, has become void. We 
 entertain the firm beHef that Our Government, sup- 
 ported by your own active endeavors will succeed in 
 promoting the interest of the islands and by degrees 
 efface all remembrances of the misfortunes which, of 
 late years, have so sadly befallen the islands. To this 
 end We pray Almighty God to give Us strength and 
 wisdom. 
 
 Commending You to God ! 
 
 Done at Our Palace at Amalienborg, the 7th May, 
 
 1870. 
 Christian R. 
 L. S. 
 
 A writer in the "Review of Reviews," refer- 
 ring to the disappointing failure of 1867, said: 
 
 *'If we had purchased the islands at that time, 
 our influence in the West Indies would have grown 
 in such a way that it is reasonable to believe that 
 we could subsequently have purchased Cuba from 
 Spain, and thus averted two or three wars, and 
 much misery." 
 
 Not until after the Spanish-American war was 
 
 the purchase of these islands again seriously con- 
 22 
 
FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES 
 
 sidered. Once more the United States had felt 
 the need of a naval station in the Caribbean. 
 Consequently, another treaty was negotiated, in 
 January, 1902. Owing to the efforts of President 
 Roosevelt and Secretary of State John Hay, this 
 treaty was promptly ratified by the United States 
 Senate. The Folkething (Lower House) of Den- 
 mark readily gave its consent to the proposed sale 
 of the islands for $5,000,000, but the Upper House 
 of the Danish Parliament failed to vote in favor of 
 confirmation. It has generally been thought that 
 German influence was responsible for the failure 
 to sanction this treaty. Possibly the German 
 government itself hoped, at some time or other, to 
 obtain a foothold in the West Indies. 
 
 While there were in 1911 and 1912 attempts 
 to renew interest in the purchase, nothing came 
 of these. Not until the latter part of 1916 was 
 another determined effort made to induce the 
 Danes to cede the islands. For the three principal 
 islands and their outlying cays $25,000,000 was 
 offered. A popular vote of the Danish people 
 was taken in December, to see if it was their wish 
 to give up Denmark's only tropical colony. As 
 the cost of governing these islands had become 
 
 23 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 far greater than the revenues derived from them, 
 and as the Danes were forced to admit that the 
 inhabitants of the Dutch West Indies were them- 
 selves greatly in favor of the transfer, 283,000 
 voted for the ratification of the treaty while 
 157,000 were opposed to the sale. This favorable 
 vote was hailed with great joy in St. Thomas and 
 St. Croix. 
 
 The islands finally came into the possession 
 of the United States on January 17, 1917, when 
 Secretary of State Lansing and Minister Brun of 
 Denmark signed the ratification of the treaty of 
 cession. 
 
 In this ratification it was stipulated that the 
 islands would be taken over within ninety days. 
 The final act was staged on March 31, 1917, when 
 the Dannebrog (the official name of the Danish 
 flag) was replaced by the Stars and Stripes. It 
 was the original intention that this change of flags 
 should take place with great ceremony, but the 
 exigencies of the international situation, and the 
 fact that the break of the United States with 
 Germany had just taken place, made a popular 
 demonstration inadvisable, and the plans made 
 by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy to assist 
 24 
 
FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES 
 
 in the celebration with part of the United States 
 Atlantic Squadron were cancelled. But, in spite 
 of the comparative lack of ceremony, the lowering 
 of the Dannebrog and the hoisting in its stead of 
 the Stars and Stripes was an impressive event, an 
 event which every thinking American should 
 regard with pride. Once again the adherents of 
 the Monroe Doctrine rejoiced in the acquisition 
 of additional territory, needed to promote the peace 
 of the world, and one more European nationality 
 ceased to be represented in the complex political 
 scheme of the Antilles. 
 
 While the transfer of the islands was not viewed 
 with imiversal joy by their inhabitants, it can be 
 said safely that fully ninety per cent, of the natives 
 were only too glad to be adopted by the American 
 government. They were not dissatisfied by the 
 treatment that had been accorded them under 
 Danish rule, for the government by the Danish 
 officials had been benevolent and paternal; but 
 Denmark was far away, and — especially in the 
 last three years when regular communication with 
 Europe was hard to maintain — a long time was 
 required to consult the home government on 
 matters of importance, and to bring about neces- 
 
 25 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 saiy improvements in local affairs. They felt that 
 under the rule of the United States any public 
 business could be attended to speedily. Further- 
 more, practically all the commerce of St. Thomas 
 was with the United States, and the imports from 
 the mother country were but a negligible item. 
 The St. Thomians were more used to American 
 customs and manners than they were to those of 
 Denmark, owing to the frequent visits of American 
 ships to the shores of the island. In St. Croix, 
 also, it was felt that adoption by the United States 
 would give a new impetus to the sugar industry, 
 that there would be a new development of all her 
 latent resources, and that there would be an outlet 
 to Porto Rico for her surplus population. 
 
 It was of course a sad thing for the Danish 
 government to view the lowering of the Dannebrog 
 which, with but two short intervals in the nine- 
 teenth century, had proudly waved for two and 
 one-half centuries over the little group of islands. 
 Yet it was the wish of Denmark not to stand in 
 the way of the prosperity of its colonial dependents. 
 While there will undoubtedly be a few who will 
 regard with disfavor the innovations that will 
 
 be introduced by the United States, the majority 
 26 
 
FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES 
 
 will be grateful that the uncertainty which began 
 in 1866 and lasted until 1917, is now ended for 
 all time. 
 
 It was left to the present inhabitants of the 
 islands to decide whether or not they wished to 
 become citizens of the United States. Those who, 
 within one year of the date of transfer, should 
 signify their desire to do so, would remain subjects 
 of the Danish King. All others would automatic- 
 ally become citizens of the United States, having 
 all the rights and privileges of this status. 
 
 According to the National Geographic Society 
 of Washington, the total area of the three principal 
 islands acquired by the United States is 132.47 
 square miles. With the cays and rocks that form 
 part of the group, the area might possibly be as 
 much as 150 square miles. The population has 
 been variously stated as being from 30,000 to 
 33,000, of whom about ten per cent, are white. 
 A study of earlier statistics shows that the popu- 
 lation has decreased greatly during the century. 
 In 1828 there were 46,000 inhabitants, but by 
 1841 this total had dropped to 41,000. 
 
 Because of their situation, the islands are the 
 logical distributing center for goods destined for 
 
 27 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 the Lesser Antilles and they have long been a 
 shipping point of some importance. In the days 
 before the European war, a number of Inter- 
 Colonial steamers called at the ports of St. Thomas 
 and St. Croix and connected the towns of these 
 islands not only with the Leeward Islands but 
 also with Porto Rico, Santo Domingo, Hayti, Cuba 
 and Jamaica. 
 
 That this value of the islands as a shipping 
 center was well realized when their purchase was 
 considered, is shown by the report of Secretary 
 of State Lansing, transmitted to Congress on 
 January 22, 1917. In this report he said: 
 
 *'The commercial value of the islands cannot 
 be doubted. Lying in close proximity to many of 
 the passages into the Caribbean Sea, the use of 
 St. Thomas harbor as a stopping station for 
 merchant ships plying between the United States 
 and South America, and for vessels in other trades, 
 is of great importance." 
 
 Though the United States took over the islands 
 at a cost of about three hundred dollars per acre, 
 there is no doubt that, from all points of view 
 their value is incalculable. It is more than prob- 
 able that the revenues derived from them will 
 28 
 
FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES 
 
 suffice to pay the cost of their government, and 
 none of these revenues are to be expended upon 
 matters not directly related to the local govern- 
 ment. The act providing for the temporary gov- 
 ernment specifically states that debts and taxes 
 collected on the Virgin Islands of the United States 
 shall not be placed in the treasury of the United 
 States, but shall be used and expended for the 
 government and benefit of the islands. 
 
 The government of the islands will not be 
 expensive. The form has already been fixed. In 
 the language of "an act to provide temporary 
 government for the West Indian Islands acquired 
 by the United States from Denmark," "all mili- 
 tary, civil and judicial powers . . . shall be vested 
 ii^ a governor and in such person or persons as 
 the President may appoint and shall be exercised 
 in such manner as the President shall direct until 
 Congress shall provide for the government of said 
 islands." The governor, who may be an officer 
 of the army or navy, is appointed by the Presi- 
 dent, subject to senatorial confirmation. The 
 first governor appointed was an officer of the navy. 
 Rear Admiral James H. Oliver. 
 
 Election laws and local laws are to remain in 
 
 29 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 effect and are to be administered by the local 
 tribunals. Judicial tribunals have their jurisdic- 
 tion extended to cases in which the United States 
 or a citizen is a party. 
 
 Under the new customs regulations, no duty 
 is charged on articles coming into the United States 
 from the islands, providing they are native prod- 
 ucts or do not contain more than twenty per cent, 
 of foreign materials. All other articles pay the 
 same duty as imports from foreign countries. 
 Sugar pays an export duty of eight dollars per 
 ton, regardless of its ultimate destination. 
 
 The elimination of the Danish nation as a 
 power in the Antilles left the flags of but three 
 European nations in the Caribbean: those of 
 Great Britain, of France and of the Netherlands. 
 It is not inconceivable that Great Britain, at 
 some future time, may be induced to cede to the 
 United States some of her islands in the Caribbean. 
 The Bahamas, for instance, are to-day in very 
 much the same position as were the Danish islands 
 during the twenty years before the transfer. They 
 depend upon the United States for the majority 
 of their imports and for a market for their exports. 
 The tourist resort of Nassau, on the Island of New 
 30 
 
W" 
 
 COWELLS BATTERY AND ENTRANCE OP ST. THOMAS HARBOR 
 
 CHRISTIAN S FORT AND THE HARBOR FROM GOVERNMENT HILL 
 CHARLOTTE- AMALIA 
 
CHRISTIAN S FORT FROM THE HARBOR, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA, ST. THOMAS 
 
 DANISH CRUISER VALKTRIEN IN ST. THOMAS HARBOR 
 
FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES 
 
 Providence, is visited almost exclusively by Ameri- 
 cans and would lose its only claim to importance 
 if the revenue from this source were cut off. This 
 condition is well appreciated by the Bahamians 
 themselves; they would, in all probability, welcome 
 adoption by the United States, for their fruits 
 would find a duty-free market and thus the one 
 agricultural possibility of the islands would be 
 given an encouraging impetus. Jamaica, while 
 having more intercourse with Great Britain, prac- 
 tically depends upon the United States for the 
 sale of her entire banana crop; where one steamer 
 communicates with England, ten seek the nearer 
 ports of the North American continent. It must 
 be understood, however, that the sale of any of 
 the British West Indies is but a remote possibility, 
 although within the bounds of probability. 
 
 A far more probable purchase would be that 
 of the Dutch islands of the West Indies. The pos- 
 sessions of the Netherlands in the Caribbean are a 
 loss to the government and a menace to the mother 
 country. In the event of war between the United 
 States and one of the larger European nations, the 
 first hostile act on the part of the latter might 
 well prove to be the violation of Dutch neutrality 
 
 31 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 by the seizure of the island of Curagao, which 
 possesses an excellent naval station and a well 
 protected harbor. Such seizure would be a serious 
 menace to the safety of the Panama Canal, and 
 there might be far-reaching consequences. If, on 
 the other hand, the United States had Curagao 
 in its possession, the approach to the Panama 
 Canal, by way of the southern channels of the 
 Lesser Antilles, would be safeguarded. This also 
 applies to the Dutch islands of St. Martin, Saba, 
 and St. Eustatius in the northern group of the 
 Leeward Islands; should these come under the 
 United States flag, the entire range of islands from 
 the Florida coast to the mainland of South America 
 would be dominated by the American navy. 
 
 A glance at the map of the Caribbean will 
 reveal the truth of this statement. The Guan- 
 tanamo naval base on the southern coast of the 
 eastern part of Cuba can control not only the 
 Florida Straits, between Florida and Cuba, but 
 also the Windward Passage between Cuba and 
 Hayti. A fleet stationed at Culebra Island and 
 at St. Thomas could give battle to any squadron 
 that should try to force its way through the Mona 
 Passage, between Santo Domingo and Porto Rico, 
 32 
 
FROM DENMARK TO UNITED STATES 
 
 or through the Virgin Passage, separating Porto 
 Rico from the Virgin Islands. This same fleet 
 would also be in a position to protect the passages 
 due east from the Island of St. John. 
 
 From the Island of Barbuda to the Island of 
 Trinidad, however, can be found some twelve deep 
 water channels, which, in the event of war with 
 a maritime nation, would require a patrol fleet of 
 almost prohibitive size to give warning of the 
 approach of a hostile fleet. 
 
 If, therefore, the United States can prevail 
 upon the Dutch government to sell her West Indian 
 possessions, not only would the sale be to the 
 advantage of Holland, since it would relieve her 
 of her unproductive colonies in the Caribbean, 
 and would remove the menace of having these 
 colonies seized by a European nation, but also the 
 strategic importance of the naval station to be 
 established by the United States on the former 
 Danish West Indies would be materially increased. 
 A chain of defenses could thus be thrown around 
 the Panama Canal that would afford complete 
 protection from all the Atlantic approaches. 
 
 3 33 
 
CHAPTER II 
 GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS 
 
 THE STORY TOLD BY OLD POTTERY— THE NAMING OF THE 
 ISLANDS— NATIVES ATTACK THE SOLDIERS OF COLUMBUS 
 —EXTERMINATION OF THE NATIVES AND THE COMING OF 
 ELTIOPEANS- THE EMANCIPATION OF THE SLAVES 
 
 THE story of the Virgin Islands of the 
 United States may be told in three 
 parts. First comes their record until 
 their settlement by European natives in the seven- 
 teenth century. Next is the period of European 
 settlement, until 1733, when, on the purchase of 
 St. Croix from France, the three islands were 
 joined under one government. From that date 
 the history of the islands can be described as a 
 whole. 
 
 Before the discovery of the Virgin Island group 
 by Columbus, these islands were inhabited by 
 a warrior nation of aborigines. The Museum of 
 the American Indian, Heye Foundation, of New 
 York City, was the first institution to devote itself 
 to an archeological survey of the three islands 
 under discussion. This museum has devoted a 
 large amount of its energy to furthering archeo- 
 logical work in the West Indies. 
 34 
 
~^wy 
 
GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS 
 
 It was found necessary to gather some data 
 and pre-Columbian specimens from St. Thomas, 
 St. John and St. Croix, in order to enable students 
 of the pre-Columbian occupation of the Antilles 
 to make a comparative study of the remains of 
 the primitive r^ces that at one time inhabited this 
 region. The researches proved that they had been 
 inhabited by tribes that made long voyages for 
 purposes of trading, or for purposes of warfare, 
 practically throughout the West Indies. 
 
 In the excavations conducted by the museum 
 expedition, the finding of some of the so-called 
 " coUarstones " proved that voyages to Porto Rico 
 were undertaken, for these highly ornamented stone 
 objects up to the present time have been found only 
 on Porto Rico and Santo Domingo, and assuredly 
 could not have belonged to the low cultural devel- 
 opment that must have existed on both St. Thomas 
 and St. Croix. The presence of a grotesquely 
 carved "swallowing-stick" in the aboriginal de- 
 posits suggested a communication with Santo 
 Domingo, where the native priests used sticks of 
 this character in their ceremonies. 
 
 That voyages were possibly undertaken even to 
 
 Jamaica, was suggested by the finding in an aborig- 
 
 35 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 inal deposit on St. Croix of a cylindrical stone 
 ornament, specimens of this kind being more 
 typical of Jamaican culture than of the culture of 
 the other Antillean islands. Again, some painted 
 postsherds typical of the South American cultural 
 area proved that pre-Columbian communication 
 had been held between St. Croix and either Trini- 
 dad or the northern coast of Venezuela. 
 
 It is hardly likely that the tribes inhabiting 
 St. Thomas and St. Croix made these voyages for 
 purposes of barter or of peaceful intercourse. 
 Probably they undertook extensive voyages in 
 order to wage war upon the more peaceful Arawak 
 tribes who inhabited the other Antillean islands, 
 and the specimens found must have been secured 
 by force of arms rather than by trading. 
 
 If the intercourse with the islands to the west 
 
 had been of a peaceful nature, it is probable that 
 
 the Indians would have adopted some of the 
 
 technique of the potter's art from their neighbors. 
 
 As it is, the pottery from St. Thomas and St. 
 
 Croix — and the Museum of the American Indian, 
 
 Heye Foundation, has some six thousand specimens 
 
 in all from these islands — bears not the slightest 
 
 resemblance to the pottery of Jamaica, Porto Rico, 
 36 
 
GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS 
 
 Santo Domingo or Cuba. It is, in fact, the crudest 
 pottery from the West Indies and of a kind typical 
 of a nation of pirates and warriors, who found no 
 leisure to devote themselves to an attempt at 
 ornamentation of their household utensils. 
 
 There is another way of deciding that the 
 Indians who originally inhabited St. Thomas must 
 have been not only warriors but of the same race 
 as those on St. Croix, for the St. Thomas pottery 
 shows an absolute resemblance to the specimens 
 from St. Croix, and history says that the St. Croix 
 Indians were warriors. Columbus found them so, 
 to his sorrow, for when he sent soldiers ashore for 
 purposes of exploration the Indians attempted to 
 repel the visitors by force. 
 
 When Columbus was on his second voyage of 
 discovery, in 1493, he came to the island of St. 
 Croix, after first touching at a number of the 
 Leeward Islands. The story of the visit, as told 
 by Washington Irving, after an examination of 
 the letters and diaries of Columbus, is full of 
 interest; 
 
 "The weather proving boisterous, he anchored 
 on the 14th [of November] at an island called 
 Ayay by the Indians, but to which he gave the 
 
 37 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 name of Santa Cruz. A boat well manned was 
 sent on shore to get water and procure informa- 
 tion. They found a village, deserted by the men; 
 but secured a few women and boys, most of them 
 captives from other islands. They soon had an 
 instance of Carib courage and ferocity. While at 
 the village they beheld a canoe from a distant part 
 of the island come around a point of land, and 
 arrive in view of the ships. The Indians in the 
 canoe, two of whom were females, remained gazing 
 in mute amazement at the ships, and were so 
 entranced that the boat stole close upon them 
 before they perceived it. Seizing their paddles 
 they attempted to escape, but the boat being 
 between them and the land, cut off their retreat. 
 They now caught up their bows and arrows, and 
 plied them with amazing vigor and rapidity. The 
 Spaniards covered themselves with their bucklers, 
 but two of them were quickly wounded. The 
 women fought as fiercely as the men, and one of 
 them sent an arrow with such force that it passed 
 through and through a buckler. 
 
 "The Spaniards now ran their boat against the 
 canoe, and overturned it; some of the savages got 
 upon sunken rocks, others discharged their arrows 
 38 
 
GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS 
 
 while swimming, as dexterously as though they 
 had been upon firm land. It was with the utmost 
 difficulty they could be overcome and taken: one 
 of them who had been transfixed with a lance, 
 died soon after being brought aboard the ships. 
 One of the women, from the obedience and defer- 
 ence paid to her, appeared to be their queen. 
 She was accompanied by her son, a young man 
 strongly made, with a frowning brow and Hon's 
 face. He had been wounded in the conflict. The 
 hair of these savages was long and coarse, their 
 eyes were encircled with paint, so as to give them 
 a hideous expression; and bands of cotton were 
 bound firmly above and below the muscular parts 
 of the arms and legs, so as to cause them to swell 
 to a disproportioned size; a custom prevalent 
 among various tribes of the New World. Though 
 captives in chains, and in the power of their 
 enemies, they 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, and that of others who accompanied 
 him, that it was impossible to look at them without 
 a sensation of horror; so menacing and terrible 
 was their aspect. The sensation was doubtless 
 
 39 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 caused in a great measure by the idea of their 
 being cannibals. In this skirmish, according to 
 the same writer, the Indians used poisoned arrows; 
 and one of the Spaniards died within a few days, 
 of a wound received from one of the females. 
 
 "Pursuing his voyage, Columbus soon came in 
 sight of a great cluster of islands, some verdant 
 and covered with forests, but the greater part 
 naked and sterile, rising into craggy mountains; 
 with rocks of a bright azure color, and some of a 
 glistering white. These, with his usual vivacity 
 of imagination, he supposed to contain mines of 
 rich metals and precious stones. The islands 
 lying close together, with the sea beating roughly 
 in the narrow channels which divided them, 
 rendered it dangerous to enter among them with 
 the large ships. Columbus sent in a small caravel 
 with lateen sails, to reconnoitre, which returned 
 with the report that there were upwards of fifty 
 islands, apparently inhabited. To the largest of 
 this group he gave the name of Santa Ursula, and 
 called the others the Eleven Thousand Virgins." 
 It has frequently been suggested that the Island 
 of Virgin Gorda is the one originally named St. 
 Ursula, but it is more likely that either St. Thomas 
 40 
 
. v^i~y^in, «irr»?is-jK J. . ^ 
 
 MOSQUITO BAY, ST. THOMAS 
 Saba Island, and Dove Cay in Distance 
 
 WATER BAY AXD NATIVE BRINGING IN FODDER 
 
 FROM THATCH CAY, ST. THOMAS 
 
ABORIGINAL POTTERY DRYING IN THE SUN 
 
 NORTH COAST OF ST. THOMAS, OUTER BRASS AND INNER BRASS ISLANDS 
 
GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS 
 
 or St. John was the one named after St. Ursula. 
 In voyaging from St. Croix either of the latter 
 islands would be first sighted by a navigator and, 
 as Columbus was on a voyage of discovery, he would 
 probably investigate and name the first island seen. 
 
 It should be noted that, geographically, St. 
 Croix does not belong to the Virgin Islands, but 
 that from common usage it has been included under 
 this name. 
 
 It has frequently been stated that the encounter 
 between the soldiers of Columbus and the Indians 
 on St. Croix led to the first blood-shed in the New 
 World between the conquistadors and the aborig- 
 ines. But an encounter took place during the 
 first voyage of Columbus in 1492, when he dis- 
 covered Samana Bay, on the Island of Hispaniola. 
 This bay, in fact, was named by the Admiral the 
 Bay of Arrows, in commemoration of the event. 
 St. Croix, therefore, cannot lay claim to the 
 doubtful honor of having been the first battlefield 
 in the New World. 
 
 No trustworthy records have been discovered 
 of the ultimate fate of the aboriginal inhabitants 
 of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. Possibly 
 a statement made by the German historian, Olden- 
 
 41 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 dorp, may afford a clue. He says that, about 1555, 
 the Indians were driven away from the Virgin 
 Islands by Charles V of Spain, the Emperor having 
 ordered that they be treated as enemies and 
 exterminated. But was not Oldendorp speaking 
 of the Island of St. Croix, and not of the true 
 Virgin Islands group, when he made this state- 
 ment? It is much more likely that such inhabi- 
 tants as may have lived upon the Virgin Islands 
 after their discovery were taken as slaves, and 
 made to work the mines on Hispaniola after the 
 labor supply of this latter island had become 
 exhausted. But even if Oldendorp's statement is 
 founded on fact, it does not necessarily imply that 
 the extermination of the Indians was completely 
 carried out. Nevertheless, when the Danish, 
 Dutch and French settlers arrived on these islands, 
 at different times in the seventeenth century, no 
 Indians were found on them. 
 
 It was due to the efforts of the Museum of the 
 American Indian, Heye Foundation, that a few 
 of the problems regarding the pre-Columbian 
 inhabitants of this little group of islands have 
 been solved, and short mention will be made of 
 the archeological work done under the auspices of 
 42 
 
GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS 
 
 this institution when the history of each island 
 is discussed. 
 
 After the visit of the Spanish squadron under 
 Columbus, history takes but little note of the 
 islands. This silence continued through most of 
 the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Probably 
 the dread in which they were held by the early 
 navigators had a great deal to do with the silence. 
 A sailing vessel caught in the strong currents which 
 eddy between the rocks and shoals of the islands, 
 might find great difficulty in extricating itself, 
 especially in days when there were no charts of 
 these waters. 
 
 An indication of the fear with which the seas 
 surrounding the Virgin Islands were regarded was 
 given by the Earl of Cumberland, who, m 1596, 
 while on his way to take Porto Rico, said that 
 "he would rather be the first to take Porto Rico, 
 than the second to pass through the Virgines." 
 The first to pass this way was Sir Francis Drake, 
 who, in 1580, sailed through what was later known 
 as the Drake Channel between the islands. The 
 Earl of Cumberland mentioned at the same time 
 that the islands were "wholly uninhabited, sandy, 
 barren, and craggy." 
 
 43 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 The first mention of settlers on any of the 
 Virgin Islands was made in 1625, when St. Croix 
 was colonized. St. Thomas remained uninhabited 
 for even a longer time, there being no record of 
 Europeans on this island until 1666. St. John was 
 not colonized until 1684. 
 
 Each of these islands has its individual history 
 until 1733, when the Island of St. Croix was pur- 
 chased from France for the sum of seventy-five 
 thousand pounds by the Danish West India 
 and Guinea Company. Holdings of this company 
 were sold to the Danish Crown in 1754, and a 
 commercial policy was instituted which was re- 
 sponsible for the new prosperity. 
 
 St. Thomas was thrown open as a free port m 
 1764 with certain restrictions to ships from Euro- 
 pean ports, though these restrictions were partially 
 removed in 1767. In 1815 the trade of St. Thomas 
 and St. John became free from all restrictions, 
 and European ships were allowed to enter on 
 equal terms with those from America. St. Croix, 
 on the other hand, was not opened to international 
 commerce until 1833. 
 
 Little occurred to interest the student of inter- 
 national affairs until the British fleet under Admiral 
 U 
 
GLIMPSES OF FOUR HUNDRED YEARS 
 
 Duckworth and General Trigg captured the islands 
 on April 1, 1801. A Httle before this time Den- 
 mark and Norway had allied themselves with 
 France, and England was not slow in seizing the 
 Danish colonial possessions in retaliation. The 
 islands were held until February 22, 1802, and 
 were restored to Denmark by the Treaty of Amiens. 
 
 In 1807 affairs between Great Britain and 
 France once more came to a crisis, and on Decem- 
 ber 22 the islands were captured by the British 
 under Admiral Cochrane and General Bowyer. They 
 continued under British rule until April 15, 1815. 
 They were then restored by Great Britain, which 
 took the Danish island of Heligoland in exchange. 
 
 Since 1815 the islands have not been involved 
 in international affairs, and their history is but a 
 record of fires, hurricanes and slave rebellions. The 
 chief events of this period came in 1847, when 
 King Christian VIII passed certain laws for the 
 future emancipation of slaves, and in 1848, when 
 slavery was abolished throughout the Danish West 
 Indies after an uprising of the slaves of St. Croix. 
 Thus freedom came to the islands fifteen years 
 before the Emancipation Proclamation put an end 
 to slavery in the United States. 
 
 45 
 
CHAPTER III 
 ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 UPS AND DOWNS OF THE FIRST COLONISTS— GOVERNOR 
 IVERSEN'S STRINGENT REGULATIONS— WHEN SUGAR DIS- 
 PLACED TOBACCO— "ON THE WAY TO EVERY OTHER 
 PLACE."— BOMBARDING A CLIFF INSTEAD OF A SHIP— THE 
 COLOR SCHEME OF CHARLOTTE-AMALIA— THE SIGNAL- 
 MAN'S DILEMMA— A HEALTHY ISLAND'S MOST FATAL 
 DISEASE— THE NIGHT OF THE HURRICANE 
 
 WHILE there are no trustworthy records 
 that tell of the first settlement of St. 
 Thomas, it is generally believed that 
 there was a colony on the island at some time 
 before 1647. In 1647 a small company of French 
 settlers from the nearby Crab Island made their 
 way to St. Thomas, after the destruction of their 
 plantations and the burning of their ships by 
 Spanish soldiers. The perilous voyage was made 
 in frail canoes. Upon their arrival on St. Thomas 
 these refugees found abandoned groves of lemons, 
 oranges and bananas, which helped to keep them 
 from starvation. It is reasonable to suppose that 
 these groves were planted during the short occupa- 
 tion of St. Thomas by Dutch buccaneers, who 
 afterward settled on St. Martin and St. Eustatius. 
 46 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 St. Thomas next appears on the records as 
 having been the burial place of one Erik Schmidt, 
 who arrived on the ship Eendracht, in 1666. This 
 vessel probably brought supplies to Dutch settlers 
 who had taken up their abode there at some time 
 between 1657 and 1666. Soon a number of these 
 people, learning of the great prosperity of the new 
 colony of New Amsterdam, now New York, took 
 their departure for the village on the Hudson. In 
 1667 the remainder were forced to leave St. 
 Thomas. At that time St. Thomas, St. Martin 
 and St. Eustatius were captured by the British, 
 and the captors insisted upon the removal of the 
 St. Thomas colonists to the latter two islands, 
 owing to their greater fertility. 
 
 The island once abandoned, it was an easy 
 matter for the newly-formed Danish West India 
 and Guinea Company to claim St. Thomas, in 
 1667, as a trading-post, in spite of protests from 
 Great Britain, which claimed the island by right 
 of conquest. This objection was not followed up 
 by any serious measures, and preparations were 
 made in Denmark to found a colony on St. Thomas. 
 
 On August 31, 1671, the first ship, the Golden 
 Crown, was dispatched from Copenhagen, while 
 
 47 
 
THE VmGIN ISLANDS 
 
 less than three months later the Pharaoh followed. 
 On this vessel came Jorgen Iversen, the new gov- 
 ernor, to whom had been given full power to repre- 
 sent Danish authority. When the Pharaoh arrived, 
 on May 23, 1672, a few colonists were already 
 established. These were principally Dutch planters 
 who had returned from the islands of St. Martin 
 and St. Eustatius to reclaim their former holdings 
 on St. Thomas. With them were a few negro 
 slaves. 
 
 It cannot be said that the early Danish colonists 
 were of high character. In fact, they resembled 
 the criminal type of sailors, who, upon being 
 granted pardon for former offenses, were induced 
 to accompany Columbus on his first voyage of 
 discovery. There were also among the first set- 
 tlers a number of Danes who, in order to settle 
 pressing debts and to escape imprisonment by their 
 creditors, had sold themselves for service in the 
 colony. Men of this class were hardly promis- 
 ing material for the founding of a prosperous 
 settlement. 
 
 When Governor Iversen reached the scene of 
 his labors he was compelled to adopt stern meas- 
 ures to force his subjects to fulfil their contracts 
 48 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 and attend to their duties. His first official act 
 was the building of a fort, which was probably 
 commenced in 1672. It became the residence not 
 only of the governor, but also of the Lutheran 
 pastor who accompanied the expedition. Part of 
 this fort is included in the present Christian's Fort 
 at Charlotte- Amalia. 
 
 That Governor Iversen ruled the new colony 
 with an iron hand is revealed by some of his proc- 
 lamations. He commanded everybody to attend 
 service in the fort every Sunday, the penalty for 
 failure to attend being twenty-five pounds of 
 tobacco. There was also provision for a fine of 
 fifty pounds of tobacco for the performance by 
 the servants of the settlers of unnecessary Sunday 
 work. All householders were obhged to keep in 
 their homes arms for defense and a sufficient sup- 
 ply of powder and ball, there being a penalty of 
 one hundred pounds of tobacco for failure to do so. 
 Specific warnings were to be given in case of attack 
 from an enemy. Drills were held every Saturday 
 afternoon in favorable weather, and there were 
 fines for non-attendance. Departure from the 
 island without permission of the governor was also 
 punished with a fine, although the proclamation 
 ^- 49 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 did not state how this fine could be collected, once 
 the transgressor had departed. Servants must not 
 leave their masters, and if they made a practice 
 of running away, they were to be held in irons until 
 they were broken of the habit. 
 
 The growing of tobacco was the chief occupa- 
 tion of these early colonists, and it is likely that 
 this commodity was the principal article of export. 
 The raising of cattle was an industry of such im- 
 portance that the colonists lived in a constant 
 state of alarm because of the raids made upon 
 their pastures by the Spaniards from Porto Rico 
 and the buccaneers of Tortola. It is therefore not 
 strange that Governor Iversen provided for the 
 arming of his followers; the Danes had every reason 
 to guard themselves from molestation by inhabi- 
 tants of other islands. Even the Spaniards from 
 Porto Rico took part in the campaign against these 
 early Danes, and they succeeded in capturing Crab 
 Island, over which Governor Iversen first claimed 
 sovereignty in 1682. Two years later, the place of 
 Crab Island was taken by St. John, which was 
 then added to the island realm of which Iversen 
 was governor. St. Croix did not become a part of 
 the Danish possessions until 1733. 
 50 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL St! THOMAS 
 
 Difficulties of another sort were not lacking. 
 A labor shortage was soon felt. The Danish ser- 
 vants proved unsatisfactory, and the slaves who 
 belonged to Dutch landowners did not supply the 
 demand for workmen. Word of this condition of 
 affairs was sent to the home government in Copen- 
 hagen, and prompt measures were taken to meet 
 the colony's needs. The Danish West India and 
 Guinea Company purchased land on the Gold 
 Coast of Africa and erected two forts. With these 
 forts as a base, the servants of the company con- 
 ducted operations which insured a constant supply 
 of slaves for the Antillean colony. 
 
 In 1685 the Danish West India Company found 
 its means too limited to furnish a sufficient number 
 of ships for the transportation of the necessary 
 slaves to St. Thomas to supply the agricultural 
 needs of the landowners, and for the carrying of 
 the exports from this island back to the native 
 country. An arrangement was therefore made with 
 the Duchy of Brandenburg to operate a factory 
 on St. Thomas. 
 
 The result is what might have been expected, 
 for soon after the erection of the Brandenburg 
 Company's trading station, the Danish West India 
 
 51 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Company found that it was losing a large amount 
 of its trade to the new enterprise. As a conse- 
 quence there was much jealousy between the com- 
 panies, and the older organization longed to cancel 
 the rights given to the Brandenburg Company. 
 This could not be done, however, for the term of the 
 contract ran until 1716. It was fortunate that a 
 period could not be put earlier to the new com- 
 pany's privileges, for it was due to the efforts of 
 this company that sugar cane supplanted tobacco 
 plantations. In those days the price of sugar was. 
 extremely high. Thus, while the Danish West 
 India Company was the loser by the transaction, 
 the island of St. Thomas was materially benefited. 
 At one time the affairs of the Danish West 
 India Company were at such a low ebb that in 
 1690 the Danish king was compelled to rent the 
 entire colony of St. Thomas, with the exception 
 of the holdings of the Brandenburg Company, to a 
 man named Thormohlen, probably in order to 
 secure to him the liens which he held upon the 
 property. The lease was for a period of ten years, 
 and Thormohlen was obliged by the terms of his 
 contract to maintain during this time a garrison. 
 The soldiers of this garrison arrived in 169^, and 
 52 
 
EH 
 
 « 
 
 & 
 a 
 
 a 
 ■< 
 
 Q 
 
 m 
 
 31 
 < 
 
 z 
 
 
 K 
 
 H 
 H 
 
 n 
 
 Q 
 
 :z 
 z 
 
 < 
 
 ^ z 
 s 2 
 
 
 Pk 
 
 K 
 
 ffl 
 
 (S 
 
 <; 
 
 a 
 
 < 
 S 
 
 
 B 
 
 to 
 
 
 H 
 
 H 
 o 
 
 :z 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 these were the first regular troops to be stationed 
 in Christian's Fort. 
 
 St. Thomas lies in latitude 18 degrees 20 
 minutes N. and longitude 64 degrees 55 minutes 
 W., and is but forty miles from Porto Rico and 
 twenty-five miles from the island of Culebra. A 
 vessel going from St. Thomas to Porto Rico is 
 always sheltered by the cays lying between the 
 islands. Even small craft are generally safe in 
 making the passage. Owing to the prevailing 
 easterly trade winds, it is easier to go from St. 
 Thomas to Porto Rico in a sailing vessel than it is 
 to return by the same means; while it not infre- 
 quently takes but five hours to go from Charlotte- 
 Amalia to the port of Fajardo on the east coast of 
 Porto Rico, the return voyage has been known to 
 take from two to three days. This difference is 
 partly due to the strong currents running between 
 the islands which offer a serious impediment when 
 the wind is light. 
 
 The island is admirably situated for communi- 
 cation with other ports. It is on a direct line be- 
 tween Europe and the entrance to the Panama 
 Canal. Furthermore, vessels plying between the 
 Atlantic ports of North America and the Atlantic 
 
 53 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 ports of South America must pass directly by the 
 island, which is situated fourteen hundred miles 
 from New York, one thousand miles from Colon 
 and five hundred miles from La Guaira, the chief 
 port of the Republic of Venezuela. Thus the enthu^ 
 siastic traveler was not far wrong who said that St. 
 Thomas is "the place which is on the way to every 
 other place." He justified this description by adding: 
 "When the sailor lays his course for any part 
 of the Caribbean Sea, the tip of his horny finger 
 points to St. Thomas. To call the Httle island the. 
 gateway of the Caribbean is not poetic fancy. The 
 shortest and best course from England to any 
 Central American port, for steamer or sail, is by 
 St. Thomas. For the finer from the United States 
 to Brazil, the most convenient port of call is St. 
 Thomas. To go from the Greater to the Lesser 
 Antilles, one goes by way of St. Thomas. Nature 
 has given this half-way house of the sea a prestige 
 that even the commercial supremacy of Barbadoes 
 has not overshadowed." 
 
 St. Thomas is surrounded by seventeen islands 
 
 and cays and by an innumerable number of rocks. 
 
 The islands and cays are mostly very small, the 
 
 largest being Water Island, which is two and one- 
 
 54 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 half miles long and three-fourths of a mile wide, 
 and Hans Lollik, one and one-half miles long and 
 one mile wide. Most of these cays are rocky and 
 elevated, and all are uninhabited, with the excep- 
 tion of Water Island and Thatch Cay. 
 
 Perhaps the most remarkable of the cays is a 
 small island called Sail Rock, so called because 
 this mountainous rock when viewed from the east- 
 ward has the exact appearance of a vessel under 
 sail. There is a tradition that there was once an 
 engagement between a French frigate and this 
 httle island. In the night the commanding officer 
 of the frigate ran close to Sail Rock, which he took 
 for a privateersman. He hailed the supposed ship, 
 and the echoes from the rock returned the hail. 
 Receiving no satisfactory answer from the "pri- 
 vateersman," the commander gave orders to fire. 
 The echoes returned the noise of the cannonade. 
 As the frigate was very close to Sail Rock, some of 
 the cannon balls ricochetted and gave the impres- 
 sion that the adversary was giving battle. It is 
 said that the engagement continued for some hours. 
 Not until dawn did the commander of the frigate 
 realize his mistake and retire from the scene in 
 mortification. 
 
 55 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 The length of St. Thomas is thirteen miles, 
 while its average width is about two miles. The 
 area is 28.25 square miles, or about eighteen thou- 
 sand acres, of which only about five hundred acres 
 are under cultivation, while possibly two thousand 
 acres are used for pasturage. The island is really 
 nothing more than a range of hills running east 
 and west, with branching spurs. There is prac- 
 tically no level land. The highest elevation toward 
 the western part of the island, is 1515 feet. This 
 hill is called West Mountain. The next highest 
 peak. Signal Hill, in the center of the island, has 
 an elevation of 1500 feet. 
 
 While the island is not as well watered as St. 
 John — which has the largest water supply of the 
 three islands, probably owing to the presence of 
 forests, which are absent on both St. Thomas and 
 St. Croix — there are a number of springs on the 
 northern side. An absolute water shortage, such 
 as is occasionally experienced on some of the smaller 
 Antillean islands, has not been known to occur 
 here. There is but one small stream, and this 
 loses itself in the hills; probably it finds an outlet 
 to the sea through a fissure in the rocks. 
 
 According to geologists, the island is composed 
 56 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 for the most part of a mass of Trappean rocks of 
 various colors, and these rocks contain many veins 
 of quartz which can be observed wherever a cut 
 has been made in the rocks along the road. Much 
 of the rock has decomposed, and is still decompos- 
 ing into yellow or reddish clay. The aborigines 
 made their pottery from this clay. In places the 
 rock also decomposes into a whitish marl. 
 
 With the exception of red ochre, there are no 
 known minerals on St. Thomas. In a few places 
 can be seen the white coraline limestone so typical 
 of the western Antilles. 
 
 While the agriculturist can obtain remarkable 
 results because of the wonderful climate and a 
 fairly equable rainfall, the soil in most places is 
 thin and it is liable to be washed from the hill 
 slopes on which it is found. 
 
 It is more than likely that St. Thomas at one 
 time was covered with dense forests, but none of 
 these remain today. The trees were probably 
 felled by the earlier settlers and the valuable woods 
 found in them were sold or used for the local manu- 
 facture of furniture. 
 
 St. Thomas harbor is located on the southern 
 side of the island, and its entrance faces almost 
 
 67 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 due south. The mouth is fairly narrow, although 
 its width of nine hundred feet is ample for large 
 vessels. After passing through the narrow en- 
 trance, the harbor gradually expands into a large, 
 circular bowl some two miles in diameter. A 
 somewhat fanciful geological theory claims that 
 the harbor is formed by the crater of a submerged, 
 extinct volcano. This theory has been suggested 
 more because of the shape of the harbor basin than 
 because of the evidence of geological formation. 
 
 For many years, navigators found it difficult 
 to locate the southern shore of St. Thomas during 
 the night, and they were compelled to wait for 
 daybreak before entering the harbor. Since the 
 erection of a lighthouse on Buck Island, passage 
 in the night has become possible, but even now the 
 services of the pilot who meets ships outside the 
 harbor entrance are needed. 
 
 A traveler once gave the following true and 
 picturesque description of the first sight of Char- 
 lotte- Amalia by the tourist who enters the harbor: 
 
 "The view from deck, as the ship creeps into 
 
 the anchorage, is the most charming in the West 
 
 Indies. The bay lacks the great sweep of Algiers, 
 
 but it has the same mountain background, the 
 
 68 
 

 
 FRONT ENTRANCE OF CHRISTIAN S FORT FROM 
 COURTYARD INSIDE 
 
 SIGNAL STATION, TOP OF COWELL's BATTERY 
 
BATTLEMENTS OF CHRISTIAN S FORT AND BLACKBEARD 8 
 
 CASTLE ON TOP OF GOVERNMENT HILL, CHARLOTTE- 
 
 AMALIA, ST. THOMAS 
 
 COALING WHARF OF THE WEST INDIA COMPANY, LTD., CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 Destroyed October 9, 1916 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 same glorious blue of sea and sky. The village, 
 blue and orange and yellow and red, recalls 
 some of the coast towns of Italy. The garden 
 walls of the hillside villas shine out dazzlingly 
 white against the luxurious green of the tropical 
 fohage. The ruins of Bluebeard's castle above 
 the town — a landmark of the old days of the 
 buccaneer — ^present the only touch of gray. The 
 rest is a riot of color. Most striking of all is the 
 gaudy red Danish fortress down by the water 
 front. I have never seen so red a building. At 
 first it is glaring and unpleasant, but after a time 
 one's eyes become accustomed to the new scale of 
 color values which the intense sun of the tropics 
 requires. And the bizarre glory of the fort — which 
 would be unspeakably offensive in a gray mantle 
 — seems to be not out of place in the color scheme 
 of St. Thomas. The town of Charlotte-Amalia 
 has taken the atmosphere of Algiers and the gor- 
 geous coloring of Venice, rolled them into one, and 
 reduced it to miniature." 
 
 On passing the harbor's mouth, one is imme- 
 diately reminded by Cowell's Battery of the British 
 occupation of 1801 and 1802. This battery was 
 erected by Colonel Coweil during this period. It 
 
 59 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 was constructed upon the highest elevation of 
 Hassel Island. Nearby lie buried the soldiers who 
 died during the occupation. On the shore, below 
 the hill, are the remains of an early Danish strong- 
 hold, which antedates the British fortifications. 
 Near the old Danish fort is the gaily painted pow- 
 der magazine, which was used as a storehouse for 
 explosives during the latter days of the Danish 
 occupation. 
 
 To-day, Cowell's Battery is used as a signal 
 station, and it is from here that the inhabitants of 
 Charlotte-Amalia learn of the coming of vessels 
 to St. Thomas Harbor. A mast with a yard-arm 
 serves to support the semaphore and a number of 
 wicker balls. The positions of the balls and of the 
 semaphore arms indicate whether an incoming ship 
 is a sailing vessel, a steamer or a man-of-war, its 
 nationality and the direction from which it is 
 coming. Without this signal station, a number of 
 the inhabitants of Charlotte-Amalia would be de- 
 prived of their chief interest, and their greatest 
 source of gossip. 
 
 The citizens say that at one time a Siamese 
 man-of-war called at St. Thomas in order to obtain 
 a supply of coal for its bunkers. On seeing the 
 60 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 ship approach, the watchman on the signal hill did 
 not find in his signal book any instructions inform- 
 ing him what position to give the balls and the 
 semaphore for a man-of-war of this nationality. 
 In desperation, he rigged up his signal mast with 
 all the wicker spheres he happened to have on hand. 
 Naturally the people became greatly excited and 
 made all sorts of hurried preparations for inter- 
 national festivities, for they thought that the com- 
 bined navies of the world were coming to visit 
 their Httle island. 
 
 One of the most interesting excursions on St. 
 Thomas may be taken by rowboat to Cowell's 
 Point, and thence up the hill upon which the 
 battery is located. The existence on the rocks 
 below the signal stiition of a large sign which adver- 
 tises the bay rum of a local manufacturer, does 
 much to spoil an otherwise perfect view. During 
 the hurricane of October, 1916, the sign was blown 
 down, but this offensive eyesore to all visitors 
 approaching St. Thomas Harbor has unfortunately 
 been restored. 
 
 Directly opposite Hassel Island, on Muhlenfel's 
 Point, is the quarantine station. This, happily, is 
 seldom needed for its intended purpose. When no 
 
 61 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 patients are residing there, it is occasionally rented 
 out to picnic parties from Charlotte-Amalia. This 
 is a delightful spot for a temporary sojourn, for 
 the sea bathing here is the best on the island. 
 
 The harbor of St. Thomas presents little diflB- 
 culty to navigation. The few obstructions beneath 
 the surface have been marked by buoys, while the 
 rocks which extend above sea level have been care- 
 fully whitewashed. A number of range-lights also 
 protect the harbor and serve to keep the incoming 
 ship in its proper channel. The harbor is land- 
 locked, and the safety of ships in the harbor is 
 jeopardized only when the dreaded West Indian 
 hurricanes strike St. Thomas from a southerly 
 direction. 
 
 But for the hurricanes St. Thomas would be an 
 earthly paradise. The chmate is healthy for new- 
 comers, even for those who are unaccustomed to 
 the tropics, and it is especially enjoyable during 
 the winter months. The greatest heat is felt in 
 August, September and October, but even then 
 the thermometer seldom goes above 91 degrees 
 Fahrenheit, while the average temperature is 84 
 degrees Fahrenheit. In winter the temperature 
 occasionally drops as low as 67 degrees, and the 
 62 
 
 '^ 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 nights are so chilly that it is necessary to sleep 
 under a blanket. 
 
 The rainfall is not excessive; it averages about 
 forty-seven inches per year. May, August, Sep- 
 tember, October and November are the rainy 
 months, but it is not unusual for a drought to 
 prevail for six or even nine months. Such a pro- 
 longed drought is generally followed by severe rains. 
 
 Though this is not true of the majority of West 
 Indian islands, the air of St. Thomas is bracing. 
 Probably this is due to the fact that the island is 
 directly exposed to the Atlantic Ocean on the 
 north, so that it feels the cooling effects of this 
 large body of water rather than the tropical heat 
 radiated by the Caribbean Sea. For invalids and 
 for people of delicate constitution, the equable 
 climate is especially suitable, and many wonderful 
 cures have been credited to the island. All that 
 is necessary in many cases is simply to live long 
 enough in the bracing climate. 
 
 Aside from scorpions and centipedes, there are 
 no poisonous animals, and no intending visitor 
 need fear the presence of the usual venomous in- 
 sects of the tropics. There are no snakes of any 
 variety. Land crabs are the chief annoyance. 
 
 63 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Thanks to the efforts of the government, there are 
 few mosquitos in the town itself, although occa- 
 sionally sand-flies and mosquitos make life a burden 
 in other parts of the island, especially in the rainy 
 season. 
 
 Once the general sanitary conditions of Char- 
 lotte-Amalia were not entirely satisfactory, but 
 these have been greatly improved by the blasting 
 of a channel through the "Haul-over" peninsula 
 which connects Hassel Island with the mainland 
 of St. Thomas. This channel permits a current of 
 water to circulate through the harbor. Formerly 
 the waters which washed the shores of the town 
 became stagnant at times and the imperceptible 
 flow of the ebb and flood tide was not sufficient to 
 carry off the refuse which was emptied in the bay. 
 In consequence, there were a number of typhoid 
 fever epidemics. Since the opening of the new 
 channel, there has been no more difficulty. 
 
 Nowadays there are no epidemics in Charlotte- 
 Amalia, owing to the efficient medical inspection 
 and the stringent quarantine laws and regulations 
 made for vessels which enter from infected ports 
 and the efficient medical inspection. The death 
 rate of the island is remarkably low, and its inhab- 
 64 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 itants generally seem to die from one disease only, 
 a disease for which no cure has been found— old age. 
 Hurricanes will always be the principal draw- 
 back to residence in the West Indies, and St. 
 Thomas does not escape them. Many times the 
 island has been visited by these destructive storms. 
 In 1713, in 1738, in 1742, in 1772, in 1793, in 1819, 
 in 1837, in 1867 and again in 1916, tropical storms 
 passed over the little island and caused an incred- 
 ible amount of destruction. These storms are 
 regarded with such dread that it is the custom of 
 the people, at the commencement of the hurricane 
 season, to offer prayers that their island may 
 escape from the horrors of the tempests. At the 
 end of the season, they betake themselves to their 
 churches and give thanks that the period of danger 
 has been safely passed. 
 
 The last hurricane, on the night of October 9, 
 1916, was perhaps one of the most destructive ever 
 experienced. The smaller negro cabins were bodily 
 blown from their foundations and smashed to 
 pieces against other buildings or trees. Few houses 
 escaped without the loss of their roofs or damage 
 of some kind. That Httle loss of life accompanied 
 the hurricanes was a miracle, for the galvanized 
 ^ 65 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 iron sheets which formed the roof coverings of the 
 houses were hurled through the air Hke projectiles. 
 The rain which accompanied the hurricane in many 
 instances did more damage than the wind itself, 
 and the stocks of a number of merchants were 
 totally ruined. Trees which for many decades had 
 been the pride of the town were uprooted. Elec- 
 tric Hght poles, branches of trees, pieces of gutter- 
 ing, spouts and tiles from the roofs, filled the 
 pubHc thoroughfares with a tangled mass of debris. 
 In the harbor the Danish bark Thor was wrecked 
 on the rocks near Cowell's Battery. The St. Hilda 
 dredge was taken up bodily and placed alongside 
 the landing wharf in three feet of water. The 
 Hamburg- American liner Calabria^ which had been 
 anchored in the harbor since the beginning of the 
 European War, was thrown on the rocks east of 
 the wharf with practically her entire bottom 
 ripped out. The Wasgenwald, owned by the same 
 company, was torn from her moorings and driven 
 ashore, but the vessel managed to pull herself off 
 with but shght injuries. The motor ship Anholt 
 was thrown high and dry on the beach. A number 
 of sailing vessels foundered in the harbor. Two large 
 electric conveyers of the Danish West India Com- 
 66 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 pany were reduced to a tangled mass of scrap iron. 
 On the morning of October 10, when the extent 
 of the damage caused during the night could be 
 perceived, the Danish officials took prompt and 
 active steps, not only to give relief to the suflPerers 
 but also to restore the town as far as possible to 
 its usual immaculate condition. In many instances 
 money was given to the poor to enable them to 
 build new houses. In other cases money was 
 loaned without interest. 
 
 In addition to these means of bringing relief, 
 the government placed gangs at work on the moun- 
 tain roads, which in many instances had been 
 completely effaced, and restored them to their 
 proper condition. A little park on the water front 
 which, until the night of the hurricane, had been 
 one of the principal attractions of Charlotte- 
 Amalia, and which was almost completely demol- 
 ished, was cleaned up and the uprooted trees were 
 replanted when this was possible. Even after the 
 officials of the island were informed that the sale 
 of the Danish West Indies was a certainty they 
 did not in any way diminish their efforts towards 
 effacing the damage caused by the storm; they 
 seemed to think it a sacred duty to hand over the 
 
 67 
 
THE VmGIN ISLANDS 
 
 islands to the United States in as good condition 
 as possible. 
 
 While, of course, the damage caused by one of 
 these hurricanes is enormous, one must take into 
 consideration the fact that tropical houses as a 
 general rule are but lightly built and easily blown 
 down. No true West Indian will learn from the 
 last hurricane that he should prepare his new abode 
 m conformity with the demands that may be made 
 upon its strength by any subsequent storm. For 
 this reason the inhabitants of the Antilles are fre- 
 quently a great deal to blame for the fact that their 
 homes have suffered the effects of a hurricane. 
 The damage done in the agricultural areas, while 
 large, is not noticeable three months after the 
 passing of a storm, as in the luxuriant climate of 
 St. Thomas practically all destroyed vegetation is 
 quickly replaced. 
 
 Earthquakes also sometimes occur, and these 
 are most frequent in the months of January, Feb- 
 ruary and March. No intending visitor to St. 
 Thomas need, however, feel any alarm on this 
 score. While, occasionally, plaster and loose stones 
 or bricks from old walls have been known to fall, 
 no instance has yet been recorded of so much as a 
 
 68 
 
CANAAN ESTATE HOUSE, AFTER HURRICANE 
 
 -A ^ - . , 
 
 HAMBURG-AMERICAN LINE OFFICES, AND DREDGE "ST. HILDA' 
 Driven Ashore by Hurricane 
 
FIRING TIME-GUN BATTERY ON WATERFRONT, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 LUTHERAN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
ON BEAUTIFUL ST. THOMAS 
 
 wall being thrown down. Usually the shocks seem 
 to come from the south and pass off toward the 
 north. Rarely are there more than two shocks. 
 The earthquakes have but once been accompanied 
 by marine disturbances, such as tidal waves; they 
 appear to be nothing but survivals of stronger 
 shocks that may have taken place in South America 
 and been thence transmitted to St. Thomas. 
 
 An old wood cut of Blackbeard'a Castle, 
 Charlotte-Amalia, St. Thomas, made by Dr. 
 Charles Taylor. The pirate's flag is a con- 
 cession to popular sentiment. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 PICTURESQUE COAL CARRIERS— WHY ENGLISH IS THE POPU- 
 LAR LANGUAGE— HOW THE "RECONCILING-COURT" DIS- 
 COURAGES LITIGATION— CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS- 
 STREETS, GUTTERS AND HILLS— THE FABLES OF FOUR 
 HILL-TOPS— BUCCANEERS, BLACKBEARD AND BLUEBEARD 
 —WHY THE GUNS WERE FIRED— HOSPITALITY AND 
 FLOWERS— WATER-FRONT ACTIVITY 
 
 THE smiling little town of Charlotte- 
 Amalia nestles among four hills, which 
 branch southward from the main range 
 of the island. No stranger can fail to be im- 
 pressed by the beauty of the situation of the 
 picturesque town and no native of St. Thomas can 
 return here after an absence, be it ever so short, 
 without being thoroughly content with his original 
 choice of residence. 
 
 Charlotte-Amalia was the seat of government 
 when Denmark ruled, and the governor of the 
 three islands spent six months out of the year here 
 and the other six months on the island of St. Croix. 
 The town was named after the consort of Christian 
 V, in whose time it was founded. On the earliest 
 records the name of the town was Tappus, but why 
 70 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 this name was used is not known. The population 
 is about eight thousand, though there are only 
 about ten thousand people on the entire island. 
 That there are many more women than men is 
 due to the fact that so many of the men have been 
 forced to leave the island to gain a living. 
 
 Fully ninety per cent, of the total population 
 is negro, but, despite this fact, the St. Thomian 
 negroes are far more polite than any other negroes 
 in the West Indies; they do not seem to wish to 
 be on a footing of equality with their white fellow- 
 citizens. This is undoubtedly due to the excellent 
 and kind training given them during the Danish 
 rule, the results of which will show for many years. 
 If in the future the same treatment is accorded the 
 natives, there will be no troubles between the 
 whites and the negroes. 
 
 Because of hard times the negroes of St. Thomas 
 have been too frequently forced to leave their 
 beloved little island and seek a living elsewhere. 
 These absentees from home make splendid servants. 
 Happy indeed does a housewife in the West Indies 
 count herself who possesses a St. Thomian for a 
 house-servant. Her less fortunate sisters who have 
 to content themselves with an inefficient and at 
 
 71 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 times insolent servant from Barbadoes, or some 
 other British island, look upon her with envy. 
 
 The stay-at-home St. Thomian depends for a 
 living chiefly upon the ships that come to Charlotte- 
 Amalia, either to load or to discharge their cargoes. 
 He or she, as the case may be, — for the women work 
 as hard as the men, — easily finds work as a steve- 
 dore upon one of these vessels, or else as a coal- 
 carrier on the wharves which supply ships calling 
 at this port in order to fill their bunkers. 
 
 The stevedore's wages are one dollar per day. 
 The coal-carrier is paid according to the amount 
 of work done. Until January, 1917, the rate for 
 coal-carriers was a cent for every basket brought 
 on board. By dint of hard work some of the 
 stronger laborers were enabled to make as much 
 as two dollars a day, but this was possible, of 
 course, for only a few days each week. To earn 
 two dollars it was necessary to fill two hundred 
 baskets, each of which contained from eighty-five 
 to ninety-five pounds of coal, and to toil with these 
 from the coal heap up a steeply-inclined gangway to 
 the bunkers of the ship. A labor union formed in 
 Charlotte-Amalia, in imitation of a similar organi- 
 zation founded two years earlier in St. Croix, has 
 72 
 
r 
 f 
 
 X 
 
 W 
 H 
 H 
 H 
 
 O 
 
 w 
 o 
 
 H 
 H 
 
 B 
 
 I 
 
TYPICAL COAL CARRIERS, CHARLOTTE- 
 AMALIA 
 
 CUSTOM HOUSE AND POST OFFICE, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA, ST, THOMAS 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 succeeded in raising the rate per basket from one 
 cent to two cents. A few strikes occurred before 
 the coal companies agreed to this increase, but in 
 the end matters were settled amicably. The 
 workers took advantage of the fact that the large 
 electric cranes, which had been erected by the 
 West India Company not long before, and which 
 were capable of handling one hundred and fifty 
 tons of coal per hour, had been completely wrecked 
 by the hurricane of October, 1916. Yet it is true 
 that the increased cost of living, and the fact that 
 few ships have called at St. Thomas since the 
 outbreak of the European War, made higher wages 
 imperative. 
 
 At best, the lot of the faithful coal-carriers is 
 not enviable. The work is hard and the workers 
 are exposed to weather of all kinds, from the in- 
 tense tropical heat of the waterfront to the drench- 
 ing downpour of the rainy season. In spite of 
 these hardships, the laborers are a cheerful lot. 
 They reside in a part of the town known as the 
 "Back-of-AU." 
 
 The port of San Juan on Porto Rico has of late 
 years become a serious rival of St. Thomas for the 
 coaling of ships. A number of steamship lines 
 
 73 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 which for years called at Charlotte-AmaUa are 
 now going to San Juan, where coal is cheaper, 
 owing to the greater proximity to the ports of the 
 United States and the better facilities which have 
 been provided for the supplying of ships with 
 bunker coal. It is thought that when the United 
 States establishes a naval base on the island, the 
 increased demand for laborers and the better pay 
 which they undoubtedly will receive will go far 
 toward bettering their lot and the conditions under 
 which they live. 
 
 As a race the St. Thomians are far from indo- 
 lent. They are hard-working and willing, but not 
 very efficient, judged by northern standards. 
 Their employers find it advisable to cajole them, 
 instead of using harsh words to them. If the 
 laborers are treated in a kind manner, they are 
 willing to go to all sorts of extremes to repay the 
 treatment. 
 
 Though, of course, Danish was the official 
 language under the rule of Denmark, it is rare 
 indeed to find a native of St. Thomas who is 
 acquainted with it. All government notices were 
 printed in both Danish and English, while the two 
 local newspapers appeared in the English language. 
 74 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 But for the fact that the streets bear Danish names, 
 the visitor would not reahze that he is in a former 
 colony of Denmark. The Danish language was 
 never forced upon the inhabitants by the govern- 
 ment, and, as a matter of fact, they would have 
 had but little use for it, since their principal com- 
 mercial relations have been with the English- 
 speaking races. 
 
 Offenses of a criminal nature are almost un- 
 known on the island. A few instances of theft 
 were so severely punished that grand larceny was 
 completely stamped out. While a St. Thomian is 
 not above appropriating to himself or to his family 
 food from his master's table or any small trifle 
 that happens to strike his fancy, it cannot be said 
 that predetermined stealing is part of his nature. 
 
 Little happens to disturb the quiet of the tropi- 
 cal dolce-far-niente of Charlotte-Amalia. A quarrel 
 between two jealous female coal-carriers, or the 
 bibulous noise made by a convivial laborer on 
 pay day, are about the only disturbances that call 
 for the interference of the few policemen neces- 
 sary on the island. The law courts are most de- 
 serted, and only one professional lawyer resides in 
 Charlotte-Amalia. 
 
 75 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 During the Danish rule, St. Thomas boasted 
 of a system which the other West Indian islands, 
 where litigation at times proves costly, might do 
 well to adopt. This is the "reconciling-court." 
 If an employer, for instance, became involved in 
 a dispute with his clerk as to the wages due the 
 latter, the clerk was not obliged either to accept 
 his employer's decision or to hire an expensive 
 lawyer to defend his interests. Either the clerk 
 or his employer could call on the two reconciling 
 judges of the court, who were appointed from the 
 people by the governor. The plaintiff could then 
 state his case and request the judges to take the 
 matter up. Both parties would then be summoned 
 and each would be allowed to tell his side of the 
 question at issue. The judges would give their 
 opinion off-hand and attempt to effect a settle- 
 ment between the disputants. Generally this 
 would succeed, and the matter would be finished. 
 By this simple means many a costly lawsuit was 
 prevented and thus the long delays of northern 
 law courts were unknown. If those who appeared 
 before the *'reconciling-court'* professed them- 
 selves as being content with the decision of the 
 judges and did not carry out the stipulations of 
 76 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 this decision afterwards, they were severely and 
 summarily dealt with. If, on the other hand, the 
 decision of the judges was not satisfactory to them, 
 and they stated that they wished to carry the 
 matter to the regular law courts, they were at 
 Uberty to do so. 
 
 "^ Since the days of its foundation, Charlotte- 
 Amalia has always welcomed religious bodies of 
 all denominations. The official religion of the 
 Danish government was Lutheran, and ministers 
 of this creed were sent out by the Crown; but no 
 restrictions were placed upon the followers of 
 other beliefs, and as a result the little town has a 
 diversity of houses of worship. Perhaps the hand- 
 somest of these buildings is the Memorial Church 
 of the Moravian Brethren. To-day the Mora- 
 vians are one of the strongest sects on the island, 
 and their missionaries take the most active meas- 
 ures to better the conditions of the St. Thomas 
 laboring classes. 
 
 At first the Lutheran congregation worshipped 
 in Christian's Fort. In 1793 the new church 
 building was consecrated and was used until 1826, 
 when it was destroyed by fire. The church was 
 soon rebuilt, and it has been used since 1827. 
 
 77 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Until the hurricane of 1916, it was chiefly notice- 
 able because of the beautiful, symmetrical avenue 
 of royal palms which led from the gate to the 
 steps of the building. These were totally destroyed. 
 It will be many years before this attractive feature 
 of the surroundings of the old building can be 
 restored. 
 
 Like the Lutheran Church, the Dutch Re- 
 formed Church was founded in Charlotte-Amalia 
 on the first settlement of the town. It is possible 
 even that it antedated the Lutheran congregation, 
 for it is more than likely that the first Dutch 
 settlers in 1666 had their own pastor with them. 
 The present building used by the congregation of 
 the Reformed Dutch Church was erected in 1846, 
 the two previous buildings having been destroyed 
 by fire. 
 
 There is also a large and imposing Roman 
 Catholic church in Charlotte-Amalia. This was 
 built about 1844. Either Spanish or French 
 supplements Latin in the services, owing to the 
 fact that the majority of the Catholics are natives 
 of the French or Spanish-speaking islands of the 
 Antilles. Occasionally there are services in English. 
 
 The Episcopal Church has many adherents, 
 78 
 
Photograph suppiifil hy \\ illi.un I . I x-iii.irest 
 
 REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 Organized 1688 
 
 Photograph by Clarence Taylor 
 
 CHRIST CHURCH, WESLEYAN, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
Photograph by Ll.ireiu e I .i_\ l^r 
 
 MEMORIAL CHURCH, MORAVIAN, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 Photogfriph by Clarence 1 a\ lur 
 
 ALL saints' ANGLICAN CHURCH, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 1 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 and services are held in a handsome building 
 which was erected some twenty or thirty years ago. 
 
 In addition to the other denominations named, 
 the French Huguenots and the Jews have places 
 of worship. 
 
 Good public schools have been founded for 
 education in the lower grades, and Charlotte- 
 Amalia compares favorably in this respect with 
 towns of its size almost anywhere. Facilities for 
 higher education, however, are woefully lacking. 
 The more well-to-do of the people are obliged to 
 send their children to the United States or to 
 other countries for their final education. It is 
 also to be regretted that St. Thomas does not 
 possess a well-equipped trade school where the 
 negroes can be instructed in the handicrafts. The 
 Moravian missionaries have made successful efforts 
 to instruct their followers in craftsmanship, but 
 otherwise the only manner in which artisans can 
 learn their trades is by apprenticing themselves 
 to a master workman. 
 
 The town has but one level street of any length. 
 
 This is the Main street and it is parallel to the 
 
 waterfront. On this are the shops and warehouses 
 
 and here merchants and shipping agents have 
 
 79 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 their offices. All other streets run at right angles 
 to the main street and are quite precipitous, owing 
 to the fact that the greater part of the town lies 
 on four hills. These hills are, from west to east. 
 Frenchmen's Hill, Delanois Hill, Government Hill, 
 and Luchetti's Hill. Many of the streets are 
 called streets by courtesy only, for they consist of 
 a series of stone steps which lead to the heights 
 above. Parallel to these steps run stone gutters 
 which, in rainy spells, carry the water down hill 
 to the sea. These gutters are locally known as 
 "guts,'* and on St. Thomas a gut may mean any- 
 thing from a ravine to a small watercourse. The 
 streets and steps are always kept extremely clean. 
 This work is done for the most part by the petty 
 oflfenders from the prison in the fort. The houses, 
 many of which have most picturesque grilled iron 
 gateways, are painted in all colors and, with their 
 scarlet roofs, they give a gay touch of color to the 
 pretty town. 
 
 Charlotte-Amalia is lighted by electricity, and 
 good service both for streets and residences is 
 given by the electric company. The town also 
 has a good ice-plant and its markets for the selling 
 of produce and meat are well arranged. In the 
 80 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 fish-market a supply of fresh fish can always be 
 obtained in the mornings, and fruit, brought by 
 small sailing-vessels from the neighboring British 
 islands, can generally be purchased. 
 
 Frenchmen's Hill is so called from the fact 
 that, in the early days, the section of the town in 
 which is this hill was chosen by the French Hugue- 
 not refugees as their abode. The hill forms 
 the extreme western boundary of the town. The 
 next hill, toward the center of Charlotte-Amalia, 
 Delanois Hill, is named after one of the early 
 settlers. Upon the crest are two beacon lights 
 which, when held in line, serve to indicate to 
 vessels entering the harbor the proper channel. 
 Here also can be seen the former Delanois residence 
 and the house which, at one time, was occupied 
 by General Santa Anna of Mexico, who came to 
 St. Thomas, after being expelled from his native 
 country, to pass his declining years in the quiet 
 of Charlotte-Amalia. The older residents still 
 remember seeing this noted warrior in their early 
 childhood, and enjoy telling visitors of the general 
 and how he stumped about the town on his wooden 
 leg. 
 
 The central portion of Charlotte-Amalia is 
 6 81 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 built upon Government Hill. Here are the ojfficial 
 residence of the governor during the Danish rule 
 and the former Danish Government ofHces. Few 
 colonies of the West Indies boast of a government- 
 house equal in quiet splendor to that found on 
 St. Thomas. Here the magnificent functions were 
 always held for visiting men-of-warsmen, and naval 
 officers of all nations counted a stay in St. Thomas 
 harbor one of the most pleasant visits made by 
 them in the West Indies. The large ballroom of 
 the residence, with its enormous chandeliers and 
 wonderful old colonial mahogany furniture, is 
 especially handsome. 
 
 The making of mahogany furniture always was 
 a specialty of the craftsmen of the island, and 
 some of their finest pieces are to be found here. 
 Once visiting tourists were successful in discover- 
 ing antiques of this kind in the little carpenter 
 shops of the town, but so much has been carried off 
 that few specimens are obtainable to-day. 
 
 On Government Hill is also Blackbeard's 
 Castle, named after the celebrated John Teach, 
 alias Blackbeard. No proof has ever been brought 
 forward that this pirate, or any other pirate, ever 
 actually resided on the island, although in the 
 
 82 
 
( — 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 early days raids by the buccaneers were not 
 uncommon. Furthermore, no authentic record 
 has ever been found that John Teach resided upon 
 St. Thomas. It will be seen, therefore, that this 
 interesting old residence, one of the first built in 
 Charlotte-Amalia and one of the very few remain- 
 ing to-day that hark back to the settlement of the 
 island, cannot lay claim to having been the abode 
 of the interesting and notorious buccaneer. 
 
 The cold historical facts about the castle are 
 that it was built by one Charles Baggaert, one 
 of the more turbulent of Governor Iversen's col- 
 onists, probably in order to annoy the governor. 
 The "absconder from Middelburg,'* as Baggaert 
 is called in some of the early reports written by 
 Iversen, built himself a house upon the hill over- 
 looking the lately -erected Christian's Fort. Iver- 
 sen complained bitterly about Baggaert's residence 
 that "it is not advantageous to the fort that Bag- 
 gaert built his house so much higher than the 
 fort, in so much that everyone who comes to see 
 him can completely overlook it." This remark 
 of the governor gives one an interesting sidelight 
 on the strategic value of Christian's Fort. 
 
 One of the few authentic stories of the activity 
 
 83 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 of buccaneers in the Virgin Islands is told in the 
 Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, America 
 and the West Indies. In 1682 Jean Hamlin cap- 
 tured the merchant vessel La Trompeuse, refitted 
 her as a man-of-war, and made a piratical cruise 
 in the Caribbean. For a time he made his head- 
 quarters at St. Thomas, whose governor not only 
 winked at his misdeeds but received him as a 
 friend. From St. Thomas, during the early months 
 of 1683, raids were made on a number of English 
 merchantmen. Then came an expedition to Africa, 
 in which seventeen Dutch and English sloops were 
 captured. On July 27 La Trompeuse returned to 
 St. Thomas. The story of what happened next 
 is told by C. H. Haring in "The Buccaneers in 
 the West Indies in the XVII Century": 
 
 "They were admitted and kindly received by 
 the governor, and allowed to bring their plunder 
 ashore. Three days later Captain Carlile of 
 H. M. S. Francis, who had been sent out by Gov- 
 ernor Stapleton to hunt for pirates, sailed into the 
 harbor, and on being assured by the pilot and by 
 an English sloop lying at anchor there that the 
 ship before him was the pirate La Trompeuse, in 
 the night of the following day he set her on fire 
 84 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 and blew her up. Hamlin and some of the crew 
 were on board, but after firing a few shots, escaped 
 to the shore. The pirate ship carried thirty-two 
 guns, and if she had not been under-manned Car- 
 lile might have encountered a formidable resist- 
 ance. The Governor of St. Thomas sent a note 
 of protest to Carlile for having, as he said, secretly 
 set fire to a frigate which had been confiscated to 
 the King of Denmark. Nevertheless he sent 
 Hamlin and his men for safety in a boat to another 
 part of the island, and later selling him a sloop, 
 let him sail away to join the French buccaneers in 
 Hispaniola. 
 
 "The Danish governor of St. Thomas, whose 
 name was Adolf Esmit, had formerly been himself 
 a privateer, and had used his popularity on the 
 island to eject from authority his brother, Nicholas 
 Esmit, the lawful governor. By protecting and 
 encouraging pirates — for a consideration, of course 
 — he proved a bad neighbor to the surrounding 
 English islands. Although he had but three hun- 
 dred or three hundred and fifty people on St. 
 Thomas, and most of these British subjects, he 
 laid claim to all the Virgin Islands, harbored run- 
 away servants, seamen and debtors, fitted out 
 
 85 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 pirate vessels with arms and provisions, and re- 
 fused to restore captured ships and crews which 
 the pirates brought into his port. The King of 
 Denmark had sent out a new governor, named 
 Iversen, to dispossess Esmit, but he did not arrive 
 in the West Indies until October, 1684, when, with 
 the assistance of an armed sloop which Sir Wilham 
 Stapleton had been ordered by the English Council 
 to lend him, he took possession of St. Thomas and 
 its pirate governor." 
 
 But even if St. Thomas is not celebrated in the 
 annals of the buccaneers, the residents are not 
 slow to put forward claims to piratical distinction. 
 On Luchetti's Hill— which was named after an 
 Italian consul— is another so-called buccaneers' 
 stronghold, Bluebeard's Castle. Again the cold 
 Ught of historical research has to dispel the haze of 
 romance. Bluebeard's Castle was built in 1700 
 by the local government and served as an addi- 
 tional fortification to defend the town. It was 
 named Frederik's Fort, and did not pass out of 
 government hands until it was acquired by a Mr. 
 Luchetti in the first part of the nineteenth cen- 
 tury. Local tradition states that there is an 
 underground passage between Bluebeard's and 
 86 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 Blackbeard's castles. If so, the early colonists not 
 only were expert miners, but must have possessed 
 boundless patience, superfluous energy and a won- 
 derful lack of common sense to drill a useless tunnel 
 down a hill three hundred feet high, through about 
 a mile of solid rock, and up another hill two hun- 
 dred feet. It would be hard indeed to say what 
 purpose such a passage could have served, and 
 there can be no doubt that this local belief has no 
 foundation of fact. 
 
 Christian's Fort, built on the waterfront, was 
 used during the latter days of the Danish occupa- 
 tion as a police station and a jail for offenders 
 sentenced to less than two years' imprisonment. 
 Although the fort was built in 1672 by Governor 
 Iversen, around the existing old Dutch fortifica- 
 tions, it looks today almost as it looked in the 
 seventeenth century, though a clock tower has 
 been added and the main entrance has been some- 
 what changed. It has, of course, no military value, 
 and only three small cannon defend its battlements. 
 At one time these were used for saluting purposes, 
 but it was found that their recoil damaged the 
 roof of the apartment underneath, and the prac- 
 tice was discontinued. 
 
 87 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 For many years the fort was the official resi- 
 dence of the governor and other officials. Here 
 the Lutheran clergyman had his quarters, and the 
 church services were held in one of the rooms. 
 The pastor, in fact, had to obtain a military pass 
 from the governor before he was allowed to leave 
 the stronghold, so strict were the seventeenth cen- 
 tury regulations here. 
 
 The apartments, which are built around an 
 attractively-tiled courtyard, served as offices and 
 cells. There is only one dark cell found, and this 
 is used solely to quiet obstreperous prisoners when 
 they become violent and abusive. Incarceration 
 in this cell soon calms them; the gloom appears to 
 depress the spirits of men of a sunlight-loving race. 
 The prisoners are employed on road work, but they 
 are treated mildly and they have but short working 
 hours. 
 
 Until a few years ago, one of the rooms of the 
 fort also served as a depository for the currency of 
 the local bank, and the archives of the government 
 offices were also safeguarded here. 
 
 The most attractive aspect of the fort is from 
 the waterfront. A small balcony in one corner, 
 decorated with potted flowers, offers a curious con- 
 88 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 trast to a supposedly frowning fortress. This 
 balcony was part of the residence of the assistant- 
 policemaster. A visit to the fort is well worth 
 while, for it offers a great deal to interest the 
 tourist. 
 
 On the waterfront, under the fort, is a saluting 
 battery of twelve pieces. From here are returned 
 the salutes given to the governor by visiting war- 
 ships on entering the harbor. The time gun also 
 is fired here. During the Danish rule this gun was 
 fired at five in the morning, at noon, and again at 
 eight in the evening. No satisfactory explanation 
 for the firing of the gun at these hours has ever 
 been given. No one thinks of getting up at five 
 in the morning in happy-go-lucky Charlotte- 
 Amalia, and no one thinks of going to bed at 
 eight o'clock in the pleasure-loving town. The 
 noon gun was noticeable only for its inaccuracy, 
 its being sometimes five minutes fast and again 
 five minutes slow. With gunpowder so high, it is 
 hard to understand why the formality of these 
 detonations was not dispensed with. 
 
 There is also on the waterfront a little park, 
 
 called Emancipation Park. In its center stands a 
 
 noble bust of the beloved Danish king. Christian 
 
 89 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 IX. Here the excellent little native band plays 
 twice a week. Yet another small park in the town 
 is known by a name more utilitarian than beautiful, 
 "Coconut Square." This park also is most attrac- 
 tive with its native shrubs and bougainvillea trees. 
 
 Near Emancipation Park and Christian's Fort 
 are the large barracks of the gendarmerie, erected 
 in 1829. These can house two hundred or more 
 soldiers, but during the latter days of the Danish 
 occupation it was necessary to keep only about 
 sixteen gendarmes on the island. 
 
 There is one theatre, the Apollo Theatre, in 
 Coconut Square. This is seldom used, for traveling 
 theatrical companies do not find it profitable to 
 come to St. Thomas. Local entertainments are 
 held here, and it is probable that, since so many 
 American sailors and marines are to be stationed 
 on the island, the building will be used frequently 
 for motion pictures. 
 
 As mentioned, the sanitary conditions of 
 Charlotte-Amalia as a whole are extremely good 
 and there is little disease. An excellent hospital 
 was built by the Danish Government, with all 
 up-to-date appliances. Nurses and physicians were 
 sent out from the mother country. 
 90 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 The large parade ground, which Hes on the east- 
 ern limits of the town, is fringed with a wonderful 
 array of mahogany trees. In former days, this was 
 used for the military parades of the garrison. To-day 
 games such as cricket and football are played here. 
 
 It is one of the pleasant customs of Charlotte- 
 Amalia to welcome its more popular returning sons 
 with the strains of its little band, which will be 
 assembled upon the landing-wharf on their arrival; 
 and this welcome is typical of the spirit of the kind- 
 ly, hospitable town. In fact, there is no hospitality 
 hke that found in Charlotte- Amalia. It is the de- 
 light of the inhabitants to welcome the stranger 
 within their gates, not only with words, but also 
 with gifts of the wonderful iSowers that are raised 
 on the island. Unpopular indeed is the lady visi- 
 tor, coming with proper introductions, who is not 
 greeted every other morning or so by a dusky 
 servitor with an enormous bouquet of roses or 
 lilies such as a New York florist would envy, and 
 the message: "Mrs. So-and-So's compliments." 
 The word "compliments" is extensively used by 
 these happy people; it designates greetings, love 
 and thoughtful kindness such as is not often found 
 
 elsewhere. 
 
 91 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Travelers may speak as they will of the delights 
 of the floral tributes of Hawaii ; these cannot com- 
 pare with the offerings made by the St. Thomians 
 to their visiting friends. The custom is not re- 
 stricted to the upper classes, for it is no unusual 
 thing for the servants to bring flowers to their 
 employers. This is not done in any spirit of 
 sycophancy, but only from a warm-hearted desire 
 to please. 
 
 And then the dinners and festivities provided 
 for the visitor! It is almost impossible to escape 
 from them, and the more formal affairs make one 
 think of the eighteenth century ceremonial ban- 
 quets. Old wines are produced from the cellars, 
 toasts are drunk, and wonderful food is prepared 
 for these feasts by old negro cooks from whose 
 looks none would suspect an ability to produce 
 the most Lucullean dishes without the aid of a 
 cook book! 
 
 Happy indeed is life in Charlotte-Amalia. Any 
 right-minded visitor cannot but feel a thrill in 
 later years when memories come to him of days 
 spent on "the blessed island." 
 
 Curious old-time customs still prevail in the 
 town. On Christmas night carols are sung in the 
 92 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 streets and native bands circulate through the town 
 with the singers. Most of the singers in these 
 bands play on the flute, the guitar or an instru- 
 ment called a "scratchy-scratch." This latter in- 
 strument is made from a long calabash upon which 
 grooves have been cut which, when scraped with 
 a piece of wire, produce a weird sound that does 
 not go badly with the other instruments. The 
 voices of the negroes, while a trifle melancholy, 
 are not unmusical. 
 
 New Year's Day is the great festival. Singing 
 and dancing take place in the streets, beginning as 
 early as three in the morning. At daybreak the 
 performers join in a body under the balcony of the 
 governor's residence and the official in charge is 
 supposed to appear and make a speech. Then 
 eatables and drinkables are distributed among the 
 merry-makers, and a small amount of money is 
 given to each. Later in the day the streets are 
 filled with the so-called "maskers" — natives who 
 have dressed themselves in carnival costumes, and 
 who, in small bands, visit their friends and em- 
 ployers to wish them the compliments of the 
 season and, incidentally, to receive some liquid 
 refreshment. The performers are well-mannered 
 
 93 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 and not too noisy, and the police do not often find 
 it necessary to interfere with their merry-making. 
 Although of late years the trade of St. Thomas 
 has fallen off sadly, a number of steamship lines 
 still call at the port regularly. The Quebec Steam- 
 ship Company's steamers arrive bi-monthly from 
 New York and on their return voyage from the 
 Leeward Islands and the Guyanas again touch 
 here. The motor-ships of the East-Asiatic Com- 
 pany call on their way to Denmark from Oriental 
 ports by way of the Panama Canal. The inter- 
 colonial steamer of the Compagnie Generate Trans- 
 ai?an%we, trading betweenMartinique, Guadeloupe, 
 
 Porto Rico, Santo Domingo and Cuba touches at 
 St. Thomas on both its outward and homeward- 
 bound voyage. The Leyland Line ships put into 
 the port every six weeks on the way from England 
 to Jamaica. The Bull-Insular Line comes here 
 every two weeks with a small steamer to obtain 
 freight for its large cargo-vessels plying between 
 Porto Rico and New York and to bring passengers 
 to St. Thomas and receive passengers for Porto 
 Rico. In addition to these, many cargo-ships call 
 in order to obtain coal for their bunkers. A small 
 motor-vessel also makes weekly trips to Fajardo 
 94 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 from Porto Rico and carries the mail in both 
 directions. 
 
 Before the outbreak of the European War a 
 far larger number of steamship companies made 
 St. Thomas a regular port of call. The Hamburg- 
 American Line, which established its chief depot 
 in the Antilles on St. Thomas, had as many 
 as fifteen steamers per month during the first six 
 months of 1914. Accurate figures are not available 
 as to the number or tonnage of vessels now calling 
 at the port, but, in order to obtain an idea of the 
 facilities offered by this excellent harbor, it may 
 be stated that in 1913 two hundred vessels called 
 here, while during the first half of 1914 this num- 
 ber was materially increased. Since the outbreak 
 of the European War, a large percentage of the 
 St. Thomians have been thrown out of work and 
 have been forced to leave the island because of 
 the decrease in the number of arriving steamers. 
 
 There are six docks on the waterfront from 
 which coal can be supplied to ships, or where cargo 
 can be discharged or taken on board. Vessels 
 drawing up to thirty-one feet of water can moor 
 alongside these docks. In addition to these facili- 
 ties an anchorage for an incredibly large number 
 
 95 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 of ships can be found in the harbor itself, and these 
 can be discharged by means of lighters owned by 
 private companies and steamship agents. In 1867 
 a floating dry-dock was launched. This had a 
 lifting capacity of three thousand tons. It failed 
 to work, and was not repaired and put into active 
 operation until 1875. Since then it has lifted over 
 eleven hundred large ships. This dock is generally 
 used by the smaller steamers which ply around 
 the islands of Santo Domingo and Porto Rico, and 
 those in inter-insular service in the northern part 
 of the Leeward Islands. The only other docks in 
 the West Indies are at Trinidad, Havana and 
 Jamaica. For this reason, St. Thomas can depend 
 upon a steady amount of work of this character. 
 
 Various shipyards offer facilities for the dock- 
 ing of small sailing vessels and the repairing of the 
 machinery of steamers. 
 
 A cable comes to St. Thomas from Jamaica and 
 Panama and connects this island with the Leeward 
 Islands, so that there is telegraphic communica- 
 tion with all parts of the world. The two excellent 
 little newspapers published in the island, one a 
 daily paper, the other and larger one a bi-weekly, 
 obtain their foreign news from the bulletins pro- 
 96 
 
RAMBLES ABOUT CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 vided by this cable company. Another cable 
 connects St. Thomas with the island of St. Croix. 
 This cable was laid by the Danish Government and 
 was used principally for government business. 
 There is no telegraphic communication between 
 St. Thomas and St. John. 
 
 St. Thomas does a fair amount of inter-colonial 
 trade, and, since its acquisition by the United 
 States the local merchants look for a substantial 
 increase in their business. In the year preceding 
 the sale of the islands, more of this island's foreign 
 trade of St. Thomas went to the United States 
 than to any other country. During the fiscal year 
 ending March 31, 1916, the total trade amounted 
 to $734,680. In this amount the United States 
 shared to the extent of $332,286. Imports at St. 
 Thomas constitute about seventy per cent, of the 
 total imports for all three islands. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 TO "MA FOLIE" ON PONYBACK— FINDING HIDDEN TREAS- 
 URES ON THE SHORES OF MAGENS BAY — WHAT THE 
 KITCHEN-MIDDENS REVEALED— AN ABANDONED SUGAR 
 ESTATE AND A RUINED MISSION STATION— A HUNTERS' 
 PARADISE— MORE ABANDONED ESTATES AND A HAUNTED 
 RUIN— CURIOUS CEMETERY ORNAMENTS— THE "GRAVE- 
 YARD OF SHIPS" AND A GHOSTLY ARRAY OF FIGURE- 
 HEADS—ESCAPING SLAVES AND PICTURESQUE "CHA-CHAS" 
 
 TO learn thoroughly the island of St. 
 Thomas one must either be a good 
 pedestrian or obtain a sure-footed pony. 
 There are practically no carriage roads. The only 
 roads which allow a fairly long drive lead from 
 Charlotte-Amalia to Brewer's Bay, about three 
 miles west of the town, or from Charlotte-Amalia 
 to Water Bay, about five miles east. This latter 
 road, however, is none too good, and it has some 
 stiff hills which make a strong horse a necessity. 
 But what St. Thomas lacks in carriage roads it 
 makes up in attractive mountain trails and bridle 
 paths. 
 
 Perhaps the first excursion which a visitor with 
 plenty of time at his disposal should take is to Ma 
 Folie, an estate lying upon one of the crests of the 
 98 
 
■< Ji 
 
 ■X 
 
 J- • 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 main mountain range of the island, on which can 
 be seen the stone obelisk erected by the Brazilian 
 astronomers when they established a station to 
 observe the transit of Venus in 1882. The owner 
 of this estate seems to have been aware of the 
 futility of going in for agriculture on the precipi- 
 tous slopes of his land, and named it *'My Folly" 
 in consequence. 
 
 The road leading to Ma Folic makes a stiff 
 ascent from the town, but the view from the sum- 
 mit well pays for all the labor involved. It is 
 always possible on St. Thomas to obtain hardy 
 little ponies suitable for and accustomed to the 
 mountain trails, and they can be hired at small 
 cost. It is well, though, to try out a hired animal 
 on a level stretch before using him on a steep path. 
 
 The summit of Ma Folic once reached, there 
 is spread out what is perhaps one of the most 
 wonderful views in the Antilles. Directly below, 
 one sees the town of Charlotte-Amalia and the 
 harbor of St. Thomas with its variety of ships of 
 all nationalities. In the far distance Buck Island 
 and Frenchman's Cap can be seen, and on clear 
 days the mountains of the island of St. Croix. To 
 the west, Culebra and Vieques seem to beckon the 
 
 99 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 visitor toward the misty elevation of the mainland 
 of Porto Rico. To the north, the seas seem studded 
 with little islands. Hans Lollik, Little Hans Lollik, 
 Outer Brass, Inner Brass, and the Cockroach and 
 Cricket resemble nothing so much as emeralds in 
 an azure setting. To the east an even larger num- 
 ber of cays and islands are visible, and even Virgin 
 Gorda of the British Virgin Islands looms up, 
 while Sage Mountian on Tortola is a prominent 
 feature. The bays and inlets on St. Thomas itself 
 astound with their beauty^ the visitor unaccus- 
 tomed to the blues of West Indian seas and the 
 cream-colored sands of the shores. 
 
 A road leads both east and west from Ma 
 Folie. Following this road to the eastward the 
 tourist comes to the Louisenhoh estate and to a 
 road named the King Road which leads, by way 
 of the Canaan estate, to the wonderful Magens 
 Bay. Of all the scenic splendors on the island, this 
 bay stands alone. Its waters run through all shades 
 and variations, from a delicate green to a sapphire 
 blue, and its fringe of white beach forms a vivid 
 contrast to the brown and gray of the rocks on the 
 peninsula of Picara which forms its eastern 
 boundary. 
 100 * 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 It was on the shores of this bay that the expe- 
 dition sent out by the Museum of the American 
 Indian, Heye Foundation, of New York City, was 
 successful in locating the remains of the village 
 site of the aboriginal tribe that lived on the 
 island previous to the coming of the Spanish 
 discoverers. 
 
 There can be no doubt that Magens Bay was 
 an ideal location for the Indian village. In the 
 first place the bay is well sheltered, with the excep- 
 tion of northerly storms, and its sloping, sandy 
 beach made the hauling up of canoes an easy 
 matter. Then the presence of the giant Ceiha 
 (cottonwood) trees on the hill slopes near by 
 assured the Indians of an unfailing supply of 
 material for their dug-out canoes. 
 
 The waters of Magens Bay abound not only 
 with shell food but with fish of all kinds. Birds 
 and bird-eggs and the now extinct Isolohodon por- 
 toricensis (a mammal about the size of a rabbit) 
 helped to supply the Indian's wants for animal 
 food. And the hills and valleys to the back of 
 Magens Bay undoubtedly served admirably for the 
 cultivation of cassava, yucca and the hundred and 
 one fruits that make Hfe delightful in the West 
 
 101 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Indies. Pools and springs furnished the Indian 
 household with the required water. 
 
 To fix the actual location of the Magens Bay 
 village site was a difficult matter, for the dense 
 brush, with which the shores of the bay was cov- 
 ered made the search for low mounds almost 
 impossible. Minute pottery fragments were widely 
 scattered, but, as the water courses which exist 
 in the Magens Bay valley during the rainy season 
 undoubtedly were responsible for the distribution 
 of these fragments, they did not serve as a guide 
 to the spot where excavations were to begin. 
 
 At last an uprooted tree solved the problem. 
 An examination of the cavity left by the roots of 
 a large "turpentine tree" which had been over- 
 turned by the recent hurricane, brought to light 
 many shells and several large postsherds. Then 
 the realization came that, since the days of the 
 aborigines, the entire Magens Bay valley had been 
 covered by a two foot deposit of diluvium, and 
 that in consequence it was of no use to look for 
 hummocks or mounds of pre-historic origin on the 
 surface of a valley covered and made almost level 
 by the decomposed humus. 
 
 Owing to the dense undergrowth, it was found 
 
 102 
 
i 
 
 3 
 O § 
 H .S 
 
 a g 
 
 o >- 
 
 m § 
 
 12 to 
 
 W 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 S ° 
 h .9 
 
 o ■-" 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 necessary to employ a gang of men to chop down 
 the brushwood and smaller trees and then to burn 
 them. When the ground was cleared, it became 
 possible to observe the presence of a ten foot high 
 mound which merged with the slope of a small 
 hill against which it lay. 
 
 Excavations were started in this mound by a 
 considerable number of workmen and a trench was 
 commenced which had a semi-circular shape, a 
 width of about seventy-five feet and a breadth of 
 perhaps thirty feet. The eastern slope of this 
 mound was limited by the slope of the hill, and the 
 western slope was terminated by a little path 
 which ran through the undergrowth. The mound, 
 as has been stated, was almost indiscernible; it 
 was impossible to make out where the mound 
 stopped and the hill slope began until after the 
 excavations had been made. In fact, had it not 
 been for the fallen tree, it might have been a long 
 time before the expedition would have started 
 excavations in this particular spot, because the 
 appearance of the ground made one think more of 
 a hill slope than of a pre-Columbian deposit. 
 
 The process of digging for prehistoric treasures 
 of Indian pottery is interesting. First a trench 
 
 103 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 some thirty feet wide was made in an easterly 
 direction, toward the slope of the hill. Then a 
 hole some six feet wide was dug over the entire 
 length of the trench— in this instance thirty f eet— 
 and from this an excavation was made down to 
 the original bottom which existed before the form- 
 ing of the Indian mound. While making such a 
 hole, it is difficult to prevent breakage of the 
 artifacts that may be found, as work with a pick 
 and shovel in a perpendicular direction is not con- 
 ducive to the preservation of specimens of a friable 
 nature. Once the hole is made, however, the work- 
 men are able to proceed in a straight direction by 
 undermining the wall of the trench in the lowest 
 part of the excavation. It will then be found that 
 the earth, shells and ashes will fall down by their 
 own weight and it becomes an easy matter to pick 
 the Indian specimens from the debris. The bottom 
 of the excavation is always kept as clean as pos- 
 sible so that smaller artifacts, such as stone beads 
 and amulets, can be the more easily discovered. 
 
 The formation of an Indian kitchen-midden, 
 
 or refuse heap, is a curious process. In the Magens 
 
 Bay middens, beginning on the surface, one finds 
 
 a deposit, about two feet thick, of diluvium. This 
 
 104 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 deposit is somewhat lighter in color than those 
 immediately below. The diluvium or humus was 
 formed in the course of centuries, after the Indians 
 had abandoned the site, by a decomposition of 
 the leaves, branches, roots, et cetera, that fell upon 
 the surface of the mound. The grasses growing 
 upon the surface formed a kind of sod, and, what 
 with this and the intertwining of the roots of the 
 trees and bushes, the first layer was quite tough, 
 and hard enough to dig in. Under the first layer 
 came two others, both of these being about three 
 feet thick. 
 
 These latter layers were constituted of a mix- 
 ture of humus, ashes, charcoal, artifacts, shells and 
 the bones of such animals as were eaten by the 
 Indians. Occasionally a burial was found in the 
 lower of the two layers, but fully eighty per 
 cent, of the burials were found in the sea sand di- 
 rectly under the two layers caused by the Indian 
 occupation. 
 
 While the majority of the artifacts found in the 
 two layers directly under the diluvial deposit were 
 the fragments of broken vessels, there were some- 
 times entire vessels. In the majority of cases 
 these vessels accompanied burials, and, in conse- 
 
 105 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 quence, had been buried entire. Probably they 
 were filled with food stuffs which were to serve 
 the departed for his journey to the Great Beyond. 
 But sometimes a vessel would turn up in the 
 Magens Bay deposits which was not accompamed 
 by a burial. Probably this had been discarded 
 by its Indian owner, owing to a flaw in the ware, 
 or else had been buried accidentally under a mound 
 
 of shells. . 1 J • 
 
 The Indians probably deposited their dead m 
 the original surface of sea sand some seven feet 
 below the surface of the mound. The practise 
 of burials in the floors of dwellings was not uncom- 
 mon on many of the West Indian islands, as has 
 been proven by the researches of other investi- 
 gators. Of the nine burials that were found on 
 the Magens Bay site, seven were of adults and 
 two of children. Six of the burials were accom- 
 panied by mortuary vessels, but outside of these 
 vessels no other objects were found with the dead. 
 The vessels were of the plainest construction, 
 without decoration, and so were in great contrast 
 to the elaborately decorated vessels that are found 
 on the islands to the westward, Porto Rico and 
 Santo Domingo. Judging from these and from 
 106 
 
CROSS-SECTION OF ABORIGINAL MOUND, MAGENS 
 BAY, ST. THOMAS 
 
 KING ROAD, NEAR MAGENS BAY, ST. THOMAS 
 
CLEARING LAND BY FIRE, MAGENS BAY, ST. THOMAS 
 
 LABORERS EXCAVATING IN PRE 
 
 i-HISTORIC DEPOSITS, MAGENS iiAY, ST. THOMAS 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 other objects found in the deposits, the aborigines 
 of St. Thomas were decidedly not of Arawak 
 stock. 
 
 The only other aboriginal deposit found on 
 St. Thomas was an extensive shell-heap on Krum 
 Bay, on the south coast of the island. No Indian 
 specimens were found in this, and the only plaus- 
 ible theory to account for the presence of these 
 shells is that the Indians went from the north 
 coast over the mountain ridge to Krum Bay to 
 fish for these shells, opened them on the spot, and 
 then carried the moUusks to their homes at Magens 
 Bay. An extensive and thorough survey of the 
 bays of the island convinced the expedition that 
 no other village site could be found on St. Thomas. 
 
 An exploration of the valley of Magens Bay 
 will reveal the ruins of the buildings of a forgotten 
 plantation, "Eenigheit," which was erected by the 
 earliest Dutch settlers. These remains are known 
 to but few present-day inhabitants of the island, 
 and one has considerable diflficulty in locating them. 
 They lie about half a mile inland. Near the shore 
 is some other masonry, as well as an old cannon 
 or two. Evidently the canny Dutch settlers did 
 not seem inclined to live here without taking 
 
 107 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 necessary precaution against the raids of sea rovers 
 and assaults from other enemies. 
 
 Another most attractive road, to the eastward 
 of Charlotte-Amalia, leads by the extensive ruins 
 of what once was one of the largest sugar estates 
 of the island. What is now used as pasture land 
 for the herds that provide the town with its daily 
 supply of fresh milk was at one time a waving 
 field of sugar-cane. Here is practically the only 
 level area of any extent that can be found on 
 St. Thomas. The remains of an abandoned wind- 
 mill speak of the days when the sugar-cane was 
 ground by the rollers of a mill operated by the 
 sea breezes or by the mules which walked in an 
 unceasing circle. The juice from the cane ran 
 into open kettles under which were enormous fires, 
 and the heat brought about the evaporation of 
 the sugar. From a modern point of view this 
 method would be considered wasteful and expen- 
 sive, but that it was profitable in the eighteenth 
 century is proven by the ruins of the hand- 
 some residence which the planters were able to 
 
 erect. 
 
 Continuing along this road, one comes to the 
 Moravian missionary station of New Hernhut, 
 108 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 erected in 1737. The history of the estate and 
 of the Moravian Brethren on the island is inter- 
 esting. The first missionaries sent out were 
 received on sufferance by the planters, who were 
 violently opposed to the Brethren's efforts to 
 improve the condition of their slaves. 
 
 A tree is still shown on St. Thomas under 
 which the Moravian services were held for a long 
 time, as the missionaries were too poor to erect a 
 building and no one on the island was kindly 
 enough disposed toward their efforts to lend them 
 one. Finally, in 1737, a benevolent planter 
 assisted them in purchasing a small estate, which 
 was named New Hernhut, after the Hernhut 
 Seminary whence the Brethren came. 
 
 Opposition to the Moravians grew, and the 
 planters finally forbade their slaves to attend their 
 services, fearing that the kindly treatment accorded 
 the unfortunate Africans might make them dis- 
 contented with their lot and lead to future revolts. 
 In spite of this opposition and many other trials, 
 the mission of New Hernhut prospered and to-day 
 the Moravians are a power for good on the island. 
 One cannot but have great admiration for these 
 people, not only because they are earnest teachers 
 
 109 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 of religion, but because they teach the natives the 
 
 use of tools. 
 
 The missionaries have always personally 
 assisted in the erection of their buildings and 
 are as adept in the handling of tools as they are 
 in expounding a theological doctrine. They owned 
 slaves for many years, but they liberated those 
 they held in 1844, four years before emancipation 
 became a fact by royal decree. 
 
 The New Hernhut station was severely dam- 
 aged by the hurricane of 1867 and was allowed to 
 flu into ruins. Since then the missionary m 
 charge has contented himself with humbler quar- 
 ters on the estate. There is a fairly large church, 
 as well as a school which is well patromzed by the 
 natives who live in the neighborhood. Of the old 
 buildings, the ruins of the large kitchen are 
 especially noticeable. 
 
 After passing New Hernhut, the road leads by 
 the old Tutu Estate, another landmark of the 
 days when St. Thomas derived as great wealth 
 from its agriculture and its slaves as from the 
 commerce that came to its harbor. The Tutu 
 Estate is situated on what is said to be one of the 
 healthiest spots on the island, and it is a favorite 
 110 
 
RUINS OF STAIRWAY, NEW HERNHXJT MORAVIAN 
 MISSION STATION, ST. THOMAS 
 
 RUINS OF OLD MORAVIAN MISSION STATION, NEW HERNHUT, ST. THOMAS 
 
RUINS OF MANDAL ESTATE, ST. THOMAS 
 
 NEGRO FISHING WITH CASTING NET, ST. THOMAS 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 recuperating resort for those worn out by the 
 summer heat in town. 
 
 The road finally leads to Water Bay, on the 
 east coast of the island, where is a small settle- 
 ment of fishermen who live in somewhat precarious 
 poverty. These natives pursue their calling in the 
 waters between St. Thomas and St. John and sell 
 their catch in the market of Charlotte-Amalia. 
 
 Water Bay, like all bays of these regions, 
 abounds with pelicans, and it is interesting to 
 watch the graceful dives of these seemingly clumsy 
 birds, made in order to obtain their quota of food. 
 Their method of fishing differs from that frequently 
 employed by the local fishermen, who have be- 
 come expert in the use of a peculiar type of casting 
 net, shaped like a parachute, the outside edge 
 weighted with leaden balls. The fisherman wades 
 into the water and detects a school of small fish. 
 With an indescribably quick motion he then throws 
 the net^which has been carefully folded into 
 small compass — in such a manner that it opens 
 out and drops on the school of fish. The fish, becom- 
 ing entangled in the meshes, are the fisherman's 
 property. 
 
 In this region and in the Red Hook district the 
 
 111 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 followers of Nimrod and Isaac Walton can find 
 ample opportunity to satisfy their desire for sport. 
 European fallow-deer were imported by some of 
 the early European settlers and can still be found 
 and hunted, although there are so few left and 
 they have become so wild that hunting them 
 becomes an arduous sport indeed. At certain 
 times of the year pigeons abound and make excel- 
 lent shooting, especially at dusk when they fly 
 from the woods, where they have been gathering 
 berries, to their nests in the mangrove trees. 
 Ducks are also found on some of the small ponds 
 and lagoons. At any time of the year one can 
 hunt a large variety of the delicious wood-dove, 
 which is found in considerable numbers. 
 
 Because of the importation of the East Indian 
 mongoose other birds have become scarce. This 
 supposedly useful animal, after finding that the 
 rats he was to destroy did not offer as easy a prey 
 as the young birds and that the birds' eggs were 
 quite to his liking, turned his attention to these. 
 Soon he was successful in annihilating the greater 
 part of the bird life of the island. 
 
 One occasionally sees the agouti {Dasyprocta 
 agouti) on the island. A few of these small Brazil- 
 112 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 ian mammals, which resemble an overgrown guinea 
 pig, must, at some forgotten time, have been set 
 loose on the island by a practical joker. They 
 have multiplied wonderfully. 
 
 To the south of Water Bay the entire east 
 coast of St. Thomas is barren and dry. But little 
 water is found here, and the vegetation resembles 
 that of an arid tropical region. Those of the 
 people who keep cattle or horses are obliged to go 
 elsewhere for fodder. It is their usual practice to 
 procure grass for their animals on Thatch Cay, 
 bringing this home in their canoes. 
 
 There are in circulation many stories regarding 
 the presence of piratical treasure on Thatch Cay, 
 and every once in awhile some enthusiastic St. 
 Thomians will repair here and spend time in 
 arduous excavations of parts of the cay. Up to 
 date, however, these efforts have not been crowned 
 with success, and it is more than probable that 
 the treasure will forever remain lost to posterity. 
 
 Another charming excursion that can be taken 
 to the east of Charlotte-Amalia is a trip to the 
 old Windberg Estate, with a further trip to the 
 summit of Windberg itself. Windberg was well 
 named "Windy Hill" by the first planter who 
 8 113 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 owned land here, as even on the most sultry days 
 there is upon its crest a constant chilly breeze 
 But little remains of the old building, which was 
 one of the first and most important plantation 
 houses on the island. The walls and upper stories 
 of the "Great House," as the owner's residence 
 was always called in slave times, have been blown 
 down by the successive hurricanes since the estate 
 was left uncultivated after the abolition of slavery. 
 But a tesselated floor of imported marble speaks 
 volumes for the ease and luxury in which the 
 old-time settlers lived, and the ruins of an enormous 
 bake oven alongside the kitchen tell of the hos- 
 pitality for which St. Thomas was famous. 
 
 After examining the remains of the house, the 
 traveler does well to make the precipitous ascent 
 of the hill itself. Elevated perhaps twelve hun- 
 dred feet above sea level, its crest offers a view to 
 the eastward over St. John and the British Virgin 
 Islands that rivals in beauty the seascape observed 
 from Ma Folic. And even if the little trail is hard 
 to ascend, and one Hves in fear that one's pony 
 may slip while clambering upward, every visitor 
 to the island should make the climb; it will prove 
 a never-to-be-forgotten experience. 
 114 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 After visiting Windberg, instead of returning 
 by the same road, it is possible to take a road to 
 the north coast and to return by the King Road to 
 Magens Bay. This route leads past the Mandal 
 Estate, where the unusually large ruins of an 
 ancient sugar factory again speak of the former 
 agricultural resources of St. Thomas. It is popu- 
 larly believed by the natives that these ruins were 
 at one time inhabited by an unfortunate sufferer 
 from that dread tropical disease, leprosy, and that 
 he died here in solitude and still haunts the spot. 
 One cannot hire a St. Thomian of the lower classes 
 to pass this road after nightfall, and even in the 
 light of day those who are really superstitious 
 unconsciously hasten their footsteps and show a 
 desire to pass this spot as quickly as possible. 
 
 In this district the hill slopes are covered with 
 large forests of turpentine trees, perhaps the least 
 attractive of West Indian trees, and certainly the 
 most worthless of the flora of the Antilles. They 
 have gawky, brown limbs and trunk, and one 
 wonders to what use they can be put, or why an 
 attractive landscape should be spoiled by their 
 presence. The wood contains too much resin to 
 make the tree of use for lumber, and yet the 
 
 115 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 quantity is not enough to make the extraction of 
 turpentine profitable. Furthermore, wherever for- 
 ests of these trees are found, other vegetation seems 
 to languish. The presence of these trees is there- 
 fore rather undesirable and a detriment to an 
 estate. 
 
 Before reaching the road leading down to 
 Magens Bay, the visitor passes an estate named 
 Lovenlund, which is now used for the raising of 
 cattle. 
 
 In addition to the routes named, a multitude 
 of small trails over the hills offer interesting 
 excursions to the visitor to the eastern part of the 
 island. Each trip he takes makes him eager for 
 the pleasures that can be found in further explora- 
 tions of the bypaths with a good horse. 
 
 The excursions to be made west on St. Thomas 
 are also of great interest. On leaving the out- 
 skirts of the town, the traveler first passes the 
 three different cemeteries that are kept in order 
 by various congregations. Perhaps one of the most 
 curious customs of the island is the manner in 
 which the graves are ornamented. No rocks are 
 found locally that are sufficiently hard and durable 
 to serve as tombstones, so a St. Thomian makes 
 116 
 
ft „.__,_>» 
 
 A GUT AND STREET MADE LIKE A STAIRWAY 
 CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 NATIVE GRAVE ORNAMENTED WITH CONCH SHELLS, ST. THOMAS 
 
FIGURE-HKAOS OK OI.I) SAILING VESSELS IN KIMM HAY SIIII'TARn, ST. THOMAS 
 
 KRUM BAT WITH SHIPYARD AND COCONUT TREES DESTROYED BY HURRICANE 
 
 ST. THOiLAS 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 use of conch shells to ornament the graves of his 
 dear ones. These shells, the mouths of which are 
 a vivid pink, are set in the concrete edge surround- 
 ing the grave and they form a decoration that is 
 attractive even it if is somewhat unusual. On 
 some West Indian islands a cemetery is sjmonymous 
 with a thicket which has the appearance of an 
 abandoned jungle, but on St. Thomas the ceme- 
 teries indicate loving care. Even upon the most 
 humble grave may be seen a small bunch of flowers, 
 sometimes placed in a broken bottle. These 
 flowers show as much tliought as the most elabo- 
 rate floral tribute on the graves of those whose 
 famihes are endowed with more worldly goods. 
 
 After passing these burying grounds, the road 
 branches to the north and to the south, and the 
 southern and more level road leads by another 
 Moravian missionary- station named Niesky. This 
 is of somewhat later date than the New Hernhut 
 station, but is in far better preservation and to-day 
 is of more importance. Here is a very pretty little 
 church and an imposing three-storied residence for 
 the missionary in charge. There is also a school 
 of some one hundred and fifty pupils under direct 
 supervision of the missionary. 
 
 117 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 The next point of interest on this road is Krum 
 Bay, where is the important supply station of the 
 West India and Panama Telegraph Company. 
 This station was practically totally destroyed by 
 the recent hurricane. Several of the smaller build- 
 ings were completely turned over and storehouses 
 with their valuable contents were greatly damaged. 
 A plantation of coconut trees suflFered a like fate, 
 the tops of the trees being damaged to such an 
 extent that they will never again bear fruit. 
 
 The tanks in which the submarine cables are 
 kept in sea water, to prevent deterioration of their 
 rubber coverings, are an interesting sight. It is 
 a strange fact that rubber, which finds its origin 
 in tropical countries, does not withstand the cli- 
 matic conditions of the tropics once it has been 
 prepared. In consequence, cable companies in 
 these regions are forced to keep their spare cables 
 constantly submerged. 
 
 Directly across from the station of the telegraph 
 company is the wrecking-yard which has made 
 Krum Bay famous to dozens of marine insur- 
 ance companies, and is of prime interest to 
 all visitors to the island. For years, whenever a 
 ship was forced to put into St. Thomas harbor in 
 118 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 distress, in a dismasted or leaking condition, it 
 was necessary for the agent of the underwriters to 
 decide whether the vessel was worth repairing by 
 the insurance companies, or if it should be written 
 off their books as a total loss. It is whispered 
 that on most occasions the inspectors found it 
 necessary to condemn a disabled vessel. The ves- 
 sel then was put up at public auction and sold for 
 a mere song. The next procedure was to take the 
 ship to Krum Bay, where it was stripped of its 
 valuable parts, such as rigging, winches, anchors, 
 masts, yards, et cetera. Then, if the ship was of 
 wood, it was burned in order to save the copper 
 nails and sheathing in its hull. Krum Bay, in 
 consequence, has often been named "the grave- 
 yard of ships," and for many years it was held in 
 bad odor by the insurance companies. 
 
 Of late years, however, these conditions have 
 been changed, and the wrecking-yard pursues the 
 legitimate calling of providing missing parts for 
 storm-tossed ships which come to St. Thomas for 
 repairs. 
 
 The owner of the shipping yard has a small 
 
 museum of curiosities which he at different times 
 
 saved from ships, such as old style compasses, 
 
 119 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 barometers, signal cannon, and a thousand and 
 one other articles found on ancient wind-jammers 
 before the advent of steam made navigation a 
 matter of exact science. Here also is a strange 
 collection of figure-heads from old sailing ships. 
 The owner has around his dwelling house and 
 repair shops perhaps eighteen or twenty of these 
 curious relics. On one side is Joan of Arc, a gaudily 
 dressed female who once was the pride of a sailing 
 vessel of that name. Then a respectable old 
 gentleman in a white choker collar calls to mind an 
 old whaHng captain, who not only gave his name 
 to the ship he owned but found it necessary to 
 embellish his command with his own eflSgy. An 
 American eagle speaks of the days when the fame 
 of clipper ships was undimmed, and a Pocahontas, 
 in conventional Indian dress with buckskin moc- 
 casins, brings to mind the picture of a staunch old 
 sailing vessel from a southern port. 
 
 The owner of the yard is inordinately fond of 
 these figure-heads and will not part with them at 
 any price. Every year he decorates his charges 
 with coats of paints of many hues, and he is only 
 too glad to relate their history to visitors who call 
 at his estabhshment. 
 120 
 
THE ISLAND OF BEAUTIFUL VIEWS 
 
 The road to the westward leads on to Mosquito 
 Bay, where there is opportunity for excellent sea 
 bathing. Beyond this comes Brewer's Bay, one 
 of the most charming inlets on the island. The 
 road then ascends the mountain range, and, after 
 passing a few small settlements consisting of two 
 or three houses, finally comes to Botany Bay on 
 the extreme western end of the island. From 
 Botany Bay, in plantation days, escaping slaves 
 made their way to Porto Rico by way of the small 
 cays which lie between St. Thomas and Porto Rico. 
 They made the dangerous journey in canoes, which 
 they either stole from their owners or found oppor- 
 tunity to manufacture. The returning of these 
 escaped slaves was always a matter of controversy 
 between the Danish or Dutch owners and the 
 Spanish authorities on Porto Rico, since the latter 
 claimed that the slaves came to Porto Rico to be 
 baptized in the Catholic religion. This was their 
 excuse for retaining the valuable property. While 
 the slaves went to Porto Rico to escape the cruelties 
 of. Danish or Dutch owners, history does not state 
 that they received any kinder treatment from the 
 Spaniards, who were never noted for their gentle- 
 ness toward those they held in bondage. 
 
 121 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Throughout St. Thomas are small patches of 
 cultivated land which are tilled by the so-called 
 *' cha-chas." These patches are frequently located 
 on the precipitous slopes of the mountains and it 
 is a wonder that the roots of plants can take 
 hold there and that the agriculturists can keep 
 their balance while engaged in tilling the soil. 
 These cha-chas are white settlers who came origi- 
 nally from the Dutch and French Leeward Islands. 
 They have not intermarried with the negroes and 
 they live to themselves, resenting any outside 
 interference with their affairs. They are a hard 
 drinking race, yet they are among the most indus- 
 trious people on the island, and are especially good 
 canoemen. Their canoes are not much better than 
 boxes made from scraps of wood, but they manage 
 not only to get about in them but also to prevent 
 themselves from getting drowned. With their 
 ruddy faces, stiffly starched blue shirts, tight white 
 trousers and broad-brimmed straw hats of their 
 own manufacture, they present a curious and 
 unusual appearance. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN 
 
 IN THE DAYS ©F COMPANY RULE-ADVENTURES OF THE 
 rniST SETTLERS-ENCOURAGEMENTS TO GROWERS OF 
 SUGAR-CANE— THE HARSH MEASURES THAT INCITED A 
 SLAVE INSURRECTION— A CAPTURED FORT, A SIEGE RE- 
 LIEVED AND GUERILLA WARFARE— THE AFTERMATH OF 
 THE REBELLION— INCREASING POPULATION 
 
 HISTORY does not tell the exact year in 
 which St. John was settled. As early as 
 1687 the Danish West India and Guinea 
 Company seems to have laid claim not only to St. 
 Thomas but also to St. John and Crab (Vieques) 
 Islands; at any rate the appointment papers of 
 Governor Adolph Esmit, who succeeded Governor 
 Milan in that year, included all these islands under 
 his charge. This may, of course, have been an 
 idle claim on the part of the company and an 
 unwarranted assumption of authority over islands 
 to which they had no right. Three years earlier, 
 in 1684, with the aid of two merchants from Bar- 
 badoes, an attempt seems to have been made to 
 set up an establishment of a sort on St. John, but 
 Governor Stapleton of the Leeward Islands sent 
 two sloops and drove away the forty odd men that 
 had established themselves there. 
 
 123 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 In 1688 the Governor of St. Thomas was in- 
 structed by the directors of the West India Com- 
 pany to place from four to six men on the island 
 of St. John and to encourage them to begin plant- 
 ing, but it was not until 1717 that these plans were 
 actually carried out. In 1716 the governor of 
 St. Thomas wrote his directors that a number of 
 his charges were anxious to settle on St. John, but 
 that they were afraid to do so because the British 
 from Tortola would allow no one of another 
 nationality to go there and cut timber. In reply 
 the directors sent instructions that the British 
 claims to St. John were to be disregarded. Con- 
 sequently, in 1717, Governor Erik Bredal took 
 passage on an armed vessel with twenty planters, 
 sixteen negroes, five soldiers and one officer, and 
 landed on St. John in Coral Harbor Bay. 
 
 The governor afterwards reported the adven- 
 tures of the expedition, as follows : 
 
 "I have planted there the flag of our most gra- 
 cious king, and fired a salute, and then we feasted, 
 and drunk the health, first of our sovereign, and 
 then of the Company. Later, I selected a place 
 on which to build a fort and a level place beneath 
 it on which a village can stand. The harbor here 
 124 
 
THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN 
 
 is quite secure and when a person is in it, he sees 
 land all about him. I have permitted the planters 
 to indicate which pieces of land they preferred and 
 have selected a place for the Company's plantation 
 just a cannon-shot distance from the fort which 
 is to be built there. Later, the planters have 
 returned because of their fear of the Enghsh and 
 are simply waiting cautiously to see what the latter 
 will attempt." 
 
 Although the planters returned to St. Thomas 
 in trepidation, fearing an invasion by the British, 
 the little garrison sent by the governor seems to 
 have been made of sterner stuff. The sixteen 
 negroes, helped by the five soldiers and commanded 
 by the Danish officer, cleared ground around the 
 site selected for the fort and made a road through 
 the brush on which to drag the nine-pounders that 
 were to be mounted on the redoubts. 
 
 When the discovery was made that the Danes 
 really intended to claim St. John and that, if 
 necessary, they were ready to defend their claim, 
 the governor of the Leeward Islands dispatched a 
 man-of-war to Charlotte-Amalia to remonstrate 
 with Governor Bredal and to intimidate him with 
 threats of an armed descent upon the infant colony. 
 
 125 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Bredal returned a message to the British authorities 
 that he was but following out the directions given 
 him from Copenhagen. Forthwith he notified his 
 directors of the threats that had been made, at 
 the same time pleading for the sending from Den- 
 mark of a reinforcement of a hundred men. Hav- 
 ing additional forces, he seems to have considered 
 that any British attempt to dislodge the new 
 settlement on St. John was doomed to failure. 
 
 St. John soon attracted other settlers from the 
 neighboring island of St. Thomas, as can be 
 gathered from the fact that by 1720 thirty -nine 
 planters had received deeds to estates on the 
 island. Exemptions from taxation were granted 
 for the first eight years of residence and settlers 
 were allowed to take as much lime and wood as 
 they wanted free of cost in order to enable them 
 to erect their buildings. They were requested to 
 set up their sugar mills within five years after the 
 land grant was made, and, in the event that they 
 did not carry out this stipulation, their property 
 was to revert to the West India Company. 
 
 Not only did the new plantations prove to be 
 more productive than those on less fertile St. 
 Thomas, but grants of land to each settler were 
 126 
 
THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN 
 
 also fifty per cent, larger, so that it was not long 
 before prosperity began to show itself and the 
 island became a large sugar producing center. 
 
 The settlers were of all nationalities, but the 
 majority were of Dutch stock. Evidences of Dutch 
 blood on the island are not lacking to-day, as many 
 of the place-names are in the Dutch language. 
 In 1733 St. John had a population of two hundred 
 and eight whites and ten hundred and eighty-seven 
 negro slaves. 
 
 On November 13, 1733, a serious revolt of the 
 St. John slaves took place. This revolt was indi- 
 rectly due to the harsh measures adopted by Gov- 
 ernor Gardelin, who, in order to stop the escapes 
 of Africans to the neighboring island of Porto 
 Rico, published a proclamation which imposed dire 
 penalties for the punishment of offenders. The 
 leader of runaway slaves was to be pinched thrice 
 with red hot irons and then hung. Every runaway 
 slave was to lose one leg or one ear, or he was to 
 receive one hundred and fifty stripes in case his 
 owner preferred that he be given the latter punish- 
 ment. Any slave who knew of a plot to escape 
 and did not inform his master was to be punished 
 with a brand on the forehead as well as a hundred 
 
 127 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 stripes. On the other hand, any slave who gave 
 information of a plot was to be rewarded with 
 ten dollars for every slave who proposed to take 
 part in the plan to gain liberty. Any slave who 
 lifted his hand against a white person was to be 
 hung, in case the white person made this demand; 
 if not, he was to lose his right hand. A slave who 
 attempted to poison his master was to be pinched 
 thrice with a red hot iron and then broken on the 
 wheel. The proclamation that told of these penal- 
 ties was to be repeated thrice a year to the beat of 
 the drum. 
 
 The slaves resented these terrible measures, and 
 soon an open revolt broke out. Secret prepara- 
 tions were made by them to surprise the garrison 
 of the little fort overlooking Coral Bay, which was 
 built in 1717. Here were stationed but eight sol- 
 diers, commanded by a sergeant, and one officer. 
 On the morning of November 23, 1733, the sentinel 
 observed at the entrance of the fort a small band 
 of negroes, carrying fagots of wood. When they 
 were challenged they said that they were coming 
 with wood for the soldiers. But as soon as the 
 negroes were inside the gate they dropped the 
 fagots aid massacred the garrison with the large 
 128 
 
THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN 
 
 cane-knives which had been hidden in the bundles. 
 Only one soldier, who had hidden himself under a 
 bed, escaped. Having disposed of the garrison, 
 the victorious negroes gave the signal for a general 
 massacre by firing three shots from the cannon 
 on the fortifications. The murderous rebels then 
 proceeded to the Caroline Estate, where they killed 
 the judge of the island and his daughter, with 
 twenty-five other men, women and children. 
 
 In the meantime many of the planters, together 
 with their families and such slaves as remained 
 faithful to them, had betaken themselves to the 
 estate of Peter Duerloo, called Little Cinnamon 
 Bay, now known as K. C. Bay, on the northwest 
 corner of the island. As the estate was built on an 
 eminence and defended by two small cannon, the 
 refugees felt that they could defend themselves 
 there against the embittered slaves. Another ad- 
 vantage was that they were within easy reach of 
 St. Thomas. The women and children were sent by 
 canoes to places of safety on nearby cays, while the 
 men put their defenses in order and sent an urgent 
 plea for assistance to the governor of St. Thomas. 
 
 A number of revolting slaves soon arrived at 
 
 the Duerloo estate, but they suffered severely 
 9 129 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 from a discharge of grapeshot which killed a num- 
 ber of them. Noting the preparations which had 
 been made for defense, they could not summon 
 enough courage to attempt to rush the improvised 
 
 fort. 
 
 Not long afterwards a boat with some eighteen 
 soldiers arrived from St. Thomas. The governor 
 also dispatched a larger body of troops to Coral 
 Bay, on the other end of the island. After travers- 
 ing the island these troops relieved the siege of 
 Little Cinnamon Bay. 
 
 For a time the revolting slaves were in com- 
 mand of the situation. With the exception of 
 Duerloo's estate, the entire island of St. John was 
 at their mercy. There was much pillaging and 
 burning of estate houses and sugar factories; prac- 
 tically every estate suffered. Two attempts were 
 made by the St. Thomas government to put an 
 end to the uprising and to restore St. John to its 
 legitimate owners. The authorities first secured 
 the services of the captain of a British man-of-war 
 that was just then paying a visit to Tortola. Land- 
 ing forces from this frigate were ambushed by the 
 negroes and were forced to withdraw with the loss 
 of four wounded. 
 130 
 
THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN 
 
 Early in 1734, another British force of volun- 
 teers from the island of Nevis attempted to dis- 
 lodge the rebels, but these troops also suffered 
 defeat with a loss of three men killed and five 
 wounded, and left the island quicker than they came. 
 
 During all these months, the slaves were in 
 possession of the Coral Bay fort, which they seemed 
 determined to hold at all odds, in spite of the fact 
 that their supply of gunpowder was running low 
 and that they had no means of obtaining a fresh 
 stock. 
 
 Becoming desperate, the colonists finally ap- 
 pealed to the governor of the French island of La 
 Martinique. This governor was informed that his 
 men would be allowed to keep four-fifths of all the 
 rebels captured, while the Danes would retain the 
 remainder in order to punish them as an example 
 and a warning to the slaves on St. Thomas in case 
 they felt inclined to attempt a similar revolt. Two 
 French barks were promptly dispatched with a 
 body of two hundred and twenty men. To this 
 force was added a Danish contingent, made up of 
 the majority of the local soldiers, numerous planters 
 and seventy-four loyal slaves from St. Thomas. 
 
 After a landing was effected in Coral Bay, a 
 
 131 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 guerilla warfare was begun, for the negro forces, 
 abandoning the fort and splitting up into separate 
 bands, were pursued in all directions. So desperate 
 had the situation of the revolting slaves become 
 that some of them were forced to arm themselves 
 with bows and arrows, owing to the lack of gun- 
 powder. 
 
 It was not long before the pursuers were 
 successful in their grim task. Numerous small 
 bands of slaves were overtaken and killed after 
 offering an unsuccessful resistance. Finally, on 
 May 24, a small band of some twenty-four negroes 
 was found dead in the jungle. Evidently the men 
 had committed suicide when they found that their 
 last hope of escape was gone and that the liberty 
 for which they longed was forever out of their 
 reach. It was then thought that all revolting 
 negroes had been accounted for. 
 
 Twenty-seven captured slaves who had taken 
 part in the revolution were summarily executed as 
 a warning to possible future wrong-doers. 
 
 About two months after the departure of the 
 
 French it was reported that a party of fourteen 
 
 slaves were still at liberty. These also soon gave 
 
 themselves up, relying on the promise of uncondi- 
 
 132 
 
THE ROMANTIC STORY OF ST. JOHN 
 
 tional pardon. This promise was not kept, how- 
 ever, and they were all put to death. 
 
 Of the ninety -two plantations on the island 
 forty-eight had been damaged by the rebels, some 
 of these having been totally destroyed. But 
 another sad consequence of the affair was a quarrel 
 between the planters and the Danish West India 
 Company. The planters claimed that the original 
 insurrection had been started on the Caroline 
 Estate of the Company, by laborers belonging to 
 the company. They also said that the fort had 
 been left in an insecure condition and that it was 
 not properly garrisoned, so that it had been easily 
 surprised. For these reasons the planters refused 
 to pay one-third of the expenses incurred in quel- 
 ling the rebellion which the St. Thomas authorities 
 wished to charge up to them. 
 
 While the rebellion was the cause of a great 
 deal of loss to the planters, some of whom were 
 forced to leave the island and settle on Tortola in 
 order to escape their debts, St. John must have 
 speedily recovered its prosperity. At any rate, 
 records show that in 1789 the island had a popula- 
 tion of 2383, of whom 167 were white, while 16 
 were free negroes and 2200 were slaves. 
 
 133 
 
CHAPTER Vn 
 AROUND ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE 
 
 THE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF ST. JOHN— MARKETING BY 
 SAILBOAT— THE NAMING OF K. C. BAY— THE MISTAKE OF 
 THE CORAL BAY BOOMERS— AN ATTRACTIVE CLIMATE— 
 AN ISLAND WHOSE PROSPEROUS DAYS ARE IN THE FUTURE 
 
 ST. JOHN lies in latitude 18 degrees, 20 
 minutes N. and longitude 64 degrees, 45 
 minutes W., and it is but three miles from 
 the extreme western point of the island to the 
 extreme eastern point of St. Thomas. Numerous 
 cays lie between St. John and St. Thomas, but 
 with the exception of Lovango Cay and Thatch 
 Cay these are uninhabited. 
 
 Strong currents set between the straits that 
 divide the islands and the smaller cays, and navi- 
 gation for large vessels is dangerous in the extreme 
 unless a local pilot is on board to inform the com- 
 mander as to the way in which the variable currents 
 set at different times. 
 
 St. John, unlike St. Thomas, is not surrounded 
 
 by cays of any size. It approaches the British 
 
 territory closely in the strait named The Narrows, 
 
 where but one mile divides the United States 
 
 134 
 
ST. JOHN*S INDENTED COAST LINE 
 
 island of St. John from the British Thatch Island. 
 
 St. John is nine miles long, while its breadth 
 is irregular; at the widest point it is five miles 
 across. The area is 19.77 square miles, or nearly 
 12,700 acres, of which not over 400 acres are under 
 cultivation. If the baytree groves are included, 
 the total cultivated area might amount to about 
 1600 acres. 
 
 The island consists of a series of mountain 
 peaks, which lie in no particular order; the entire 
 island is made up of hills and valleys, with almost 
 no level land. The only regular mountain range 
 runs along the north coast, but this is not continu- 
 ous and cannot rightly be named a range. The 
 highest elevation is Camel Mountain, about 1300 
 feet high. The next highest, Bourdeaux Mountain, 
 is 1270 feet high. 
 
 There are a number of small streams which 
 empty on the south side into the sea, so that St. 
 John is far better watered than the other islands 
 of the group. While these streams are of no great 
 size, they are sufficient to insure a supply of water 
 at all times. A multitude of springs help to promise 
 success to future agricultural efforts. 
 
 The island is in large part of the same geological 
 
 135 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 formation as St. Thomas, though a larger quantity 
 of coraline limestone is found here. Copper- and 
 iron-bearing rocks also are said to exist, and the 
 presence of greenish and reddish stones at Reef 
 Bay, in which copper can be detected, seem to 
 bear out this statement. Yet it is not thought 
 that the ores contain a suflficient quantity of metal 
 to make the working of the deposits profitable. 
 The land of the island is far more fertile than that 
 of St. Thomas and the soil covering the rocks is 
 found in far thicker layers. 
 
 No ships called at St. John, with the exception 
 of an occasional schooner which puts into Coral 
 Bay to load cattle for the neighboring islands, and 
 the only regular communication with St. Thomas 
 consists of the bi-weekly trips of a small sloop 
 which carries the mail from one island to the other. 
 All inhabitants of any consequence own their little 
 sailing boats which they use not only for fishing 
 but also for the transportation of their humble 
 products to the St. Thomas markets. 
 
 The bays and inlets of St. John are not quite 
 
 as numerous as those of St. Thomas, there being 
 
 thirty-one on the former island and forty-five on 
 
 the latter. Yet the entire island of St. John has 
 
 136 
 
RUINS OF K. C. BAY SUGAR ESTATE, ST. JOHN 
 
 FORT FREDERIKSTED, ST. CROIX 
 
:Sib« 
 
ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE 
 
 an indented shore line. Beginning on the west 
 coast one finds Cruz Bay, where is one of the two 
 fairly large settlements. This bay has for the last 
 hundred years been the site of the government 
 offices and the residence of the local official in 
 charge of the island. A large building which was 
 fort, jail, court house and residence of the poHce- 
 master in one, testifies to the former importance 
 of what is now an almost deserted island. 
 
 To the north of Cruz Bay, one finds K. C. Bay, 
 where the large ruins of Duerloo's estate call to 
 mind the heroic defense of the settlers against the 
 revolting slaves in 1733. The origin of the name 
 "K. C. Bay" is curious. In the days of the first 
 colonization a Hollander who started a plantation 
 on the north coast of the island found a large cin- 
 namon tree on the shores of the bay included in 
 his land grant. He named his property "Caneel- 
 boom," or Cinnamon Tree. In later years he 
 owned another estate which he named "Klein 
 Caneelboom," or Little Cinnamon Tree. This 
 name proved too much for the linguistic attain- 
 ments of the other settlers, and in the course of 
 time the abbreviation K. C. Bay found popular 
 
 acceptance. 
 
 137 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 After beautiful K. C. Bay one comes to Dennis 
 Bay. The next bay to the north is Cinnamon Bay, 
 and Maho Bay comes next. Finally, Francis Bay 
 lies to the west of Mary's Point. On the other 
 side of the point, still on the north coast, is found 
 Leinster Bay, the estate house of which atone 
 time boasted the presence of the one Masonic 
 Lodge on the island. The entire upper part o| 
 this "great house" which was situated on a hill 
 overlooking the bay, was demohshed by the hur- 
 ricane of October, 1916, and the majority of the 
 owner's effects were blown down the hill into the 
 sea. Brown's Bay and Mennebeck Bay are also 
 found on the north coast toward the eastern part 
 of the island. 
 
 On the extreme eastern peninsula is found 
 Privateer Bay, named after the sea rovers who 
 used to put in here to careen their ships. Reports 
 are current in the East End settlement— the second 
 of the two most important settlements of St. John 
 —that there is pirates' gold in the sands surround- 
 ing this bay, and many a futile search has been 
 made for this. 
 
 Then comes Coral Bay. Extending inland from 
 Red Point on the east to Ram's Head on the west, 
 
 138 
 
ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE 
 
 this bay has numerous inlets, of which Hansen 
 Bay, Watercreek Bay, Hurricane Hole and Coral 
 Harbor Bay are the most important. Coral Bay 
 is by far the best harbor in the Lesser Antilles, 
 and even boasts of many advantages which surpass 
 those of the wonderful bay of St. Thomas. It is 
 less exposed to the south and is absolutely pro- 
 tected from all other points of the compass, so 
 that, in case of a hurricane, ships lying in the bay 
 would have but to shift their anchorage to any 
 one of the deep indentations of Hurricane Hole in 
 order to be able to ride out the storm in perfect 
 safety. The shores of the bay are steep, and vessels 
 of large draught can come quite close to the shore. 
 The numerous peninsulas serve admirably for 
 the erection of warehouses and piers. Of late years 
 a number of St. Thomians, hearing rumors of the 
 possible acquisition of the islands by the United 
 States, bought up several of the abandoned estates 
 lying upon the bay. Their idea was that the naval 
 authorities might decide to use Coral Bay for a 
 base instead of the harbor of Charlotte-Amaha. 
 A little reflection on the part of the speculators 
 might have convinced them of the impracticability 
 of this idea, for the mountains of the neighboring 
 
 139 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 island of Tortola completely overlook the bay and 
 are but four miles removed from the inlets, as the 
 crow flies. It would, of course, not be wise to 
 build a naval station on the shores of a bay that 
 could be controlled completely by an eminence on 
 an island belonging to another nation, upon which 
 the mounting of guns of heavy calibre would be 
 an easy matter. The harbor of St. Thomas does 
 not have a like drawback. 
 
 It is not conceivable that Coral Harbor will 
 ever be able to supplant the harbor of Charlotte- 
 Amalia even in commercial importance, since 
 steamers would not here find the facilities for 
 loading and unloading their cargo and for filling 
 their bunkers with coal which they at present have 
 
 on St. Thomas. 
 
 The south coast of the island is precipitous and 
 has but few bays that are easy of approach. The 
 promontory of Ram's Head, which forms the west- 
 ern boundary of Coral Bay, is usually given a 
 wide berth by local sailors; the seas run high in 
 this neighborhood, and the cliff-like rocks make 
 landing an impossibility. 
 
 After passing this dangerous spot, one comes 
 to Lamesure Bay and then to Reef Bay, a reef- 
 140 
 
ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE 
 
 girdled inlet formerly of importance as a sugar 
 shipping center. Continuing to the westward, 
 Fish Bay and Rendezvous Bay are found, the 
 latter so named because it was the favorite meeting 
 place for certain privateers who assembled here to 
 prepare for their piratical raids upon the St. 
 Thomas shipping. The last bay, on the southwest 
 coast, is Great Cruz Bay. 
 
 No statistics are available as to the climate of 
 St. John. In general, it can safely be said that 
 the average temperature here is fully five degrees 
 lower than on St. Thomas, even on the areas lying 
 at sea level. A stay at Cruz Bay or on the north 
 coast will speedily convince the traveler that he 
 must sleep under a blanket, and if he spends a 
 night in the mountains he will find the air quite 
 bracing. 
 
 The rainfall has never been systematically 
 measured, but it is undoubtedly far larger here 
 than on any other island of the group. In all 
 probability this is due to the forests which still 
 cover the hilltops. 
 
 This island also lies in the hurricane belt, and 
 it did not escape from damage during the disaster 
 of October, 1916. In fact, the storm was more 
 
 141 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 destructive here than on St. Thomas, although— 
 owing to the comparatively few settlers on St. John 
 —the material damage was not great. The Mora- 
 vian missionary station and settlement of Emmaus, 
 on the shores of Coral Bay, was among the worst 
 sufferers and the church, living house and school- 
 house were totally wrecked. Practically all the 
 lime and coconut trees were destroyed and the 
 baytrees were stripped of their leaves and badly 
 damaged. The forests were devastated and the 
 ruins of many an old and forgotten plantation- 
 house, which had been hidden by the jungle, came 
 to light with the removal of the larger trees. 
 
 No snakes or poisonous insects other than the 
 usual centipedes and scorpions are found on the 
 island. Mosquitoes are few, but sand-flies generally 
 herald the approach of a coming rain by their 
 vicious bites. In this respect the island is not so 
 different from the other Antilles, where some kind 
 of similar affliction is always found, reminding 
 the visitor that even the happy existence of the 
 tropics has a few drawbacks. 
 
 It is needless to speak of the sanitary conditions 
 of the island. Since there are no settlements of 
 any size, epidemics do not take place and malarial 
 142 
 
ST. JOHN'S INDENTED COAST LINE 
 
 fevers are unknown. The natives sometimes suffer 
 from fevers which are attributed to malaria, but 
 an investigation will show that these were brought 
 on by exposure and carelessness. During the last 
 two years of the Danish rule no physician was 
 stationed on the island. A St. Thomian doctor 
 came here every month or two for a short visit, 
 staying just long enough to reheve the ailments of 
 the few patients to be found. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 THE CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 REMINDERS OF FORMER RICHES-COMMERCIAL AND AGRI- 
 CULTURAL POSSIBILITIES-THE MAKING OF BAY RUM- 
 CATTLE RAISING AND FISHING-THE STORY OF THE PETRO- 
 GLYPHS-SCENERY AND RUINS TO DELIGHT THE VISITOR 
 —THE CROSS AT REEF BAY— LEGENDS OF SLAVERY DAYS- 
 TREASURES OF OLD FURNITURE-THE POSSIBILITIES OF 
 ST. JOHN 
 
 ST. JOHN has a population of not over nine 
 hundred. Possibly the number is even 
 smaller, no census having been taken for 
 a considerable period. Of this population fully 
 ninety-nine per cent, are colored. 
 
 Like the St. Thomas negro, the St. John negro 
 is noted for his politeness. Added to this virtue 
 is friendliness toward strangers. The negroes are 
 very accommodating, without a thought of recom- 
 pense for their services, as many a visitor has 
 learned during a stay on the island. For instance, 
 should one get lost on one of the mountain trails 
 he would need only to tell of his predicament to 
 the first native he meets. At once the native would 
 accompany the stranger and show him the right 
 road. He will expect no reward, nor will he think 
 144 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 of the possibility of reward, even though he be 
 suffering from the pangs of hunger and though he 
 may have gone far out of his way to be of service. 
 
 There is much misery and want on the island. 
 This is due to the lack of work and the very small 
 wages which the planters — who themselves are 
 forced to lead a hand-to-mouth existence — are 
 able to pay. Unlike a St. Thomian, a native of 
 St. John is too fond of his little island to wish 
 to seek employment elsewhere. He may occa- 
 sionally sign on as a sailor on some local vessel, 
 but the ties which bind him to his own island are 
 too close to alldw him to remain content with a 
 prolonged absence. He is ready to eke out an 
 existence on the wages of whatever work he can 
 obtain here, rather than try for higher wages 
 elsewhere. 
 
 The inhabitants make their living principally 
 by the collecting and selling of the bayleaves to 
 the owners of the stills which manufacture the 
 essential oil of bay rum. They are paid eight 
 cents fojT a bag of leaves weighing sixty-five to 
 seventy pounds. This opportunity is presented 
 only during certain seasons. The natives are also 
 experts at the building of small saihng boats; poor 
 10 145 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 indeed is the man who does not own a small craft 
 of some kind with which he can go out and obtain 
 his supply of sea food. 
 
 The two principal villages of the island are 
 at Cruz Bay, where perhaps a hundred and fifty 
 natives reside, and at East End, where there are 
 not more than a hundred. Still another settle- 
 ment is the Moravian station of Emmaus in the 
 neighborhood of which about twelve families, con- 
 sisting of some sixty persons, have settled. These 
 three villages have schools with a fairly good 
 attendance. In recent years the Moravian mis- 
 sionaries have made attempts to teach the chil- 
 dren and the women to make baskets of a wiry 
 kind of grass that grows here in abundance. It 
 is quite possible that ultimately the sale of these 
 baskets to visiting tourists on St. Thomas may 
 become the means of providing many a St. John 
 family with pin-money. There is no reason why 
 brooms should not be made of this same grass, 
 for it is well adapted to the purpose. The scarcity 
 of broom corn in the United States and the high 
 price of labor there would help in the development 
 of a profitable industry. 
 
 The ruins of sugar estates everywhere convince 
 146 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 one of the former importance of this island and 
 of the riches that are lying idle in its fertile fields. 
 Of late a number of planters have made attempts 
 to raise on these abandoned estates lime trees, 
 from whose fruits the citric acid and the lime juice 
 of commerce are manufactured. With slight in- 
 vestment this venture should become profitable. 
 Machinery could be installed to crush the fruit, 
 and the old sugar kettles could be employed to 
 evaporate the critic acid from the juice. 
 
 Yet another industry of the island is the 
 manufacture oi charcoal, which commands a ready 
 market on St. Thomas. Practically all cooking in 
 the West Indies is done over charcoal stoves, for 
 charcoal is always available on the wooded islands 
 and this fuel does not heat up the kitchen as would 
 a coal-burning range. There is a great deal of 
 timber on the abandoned estates of St. John, so 
 the inhabitants are never at a loss for wood which 
 can be manufactured into charcoal. The smoke 
 arising from the charcoal pits is a familiar feature 
 of the landscape. 
 
 The commercial and agricultural possibilities 
 of St. John are great. In the first place, the bay- 
 tree (Pimenta acris) flourishes on the little island. 
 
 147 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 It has been found by actual experience that this 
 bay tree is somewhat erratic and is most particular 
 as to its habitat. Attempts have been made to 
 grow it on various islands, and practically all 
 attempts were failures. Even on St. John, small 
 as it is, it seems that the trees do well only in 
 certain parts and are unable to gain a foothold in 
 other parts. Why this is so has never been satis- 
 factorily explained. But even with this drawback 
 there are to-day many regions of St. John where 
 an extensive cultivation of the baytree would be 
 highly profitable. The trees are not regularly 
 planted or set out at the present time, and prop- 
 agation is entirely due to natural agents, such 
 as the birds and the winds, which scatter the 
 seeds. 
 
 The leaves of the baytree are gathered by 
 breaking small twigs from the tree and afterwards 
 separating them from these twigs. Instead of 
 harming the tree, this breaking off of the smaller 
 branches seems to improve it; several branches 
 will sprout from the break made by the removal of 
 a single branch. The leaves are then distilled in 
 copper stills of the usual type. This distillation 
 results in the collecting of the essential oil, the 
 148 
 

 .titi&A 
 
 EAST END, ST. JOHN 
 
 BAY-OIL STILL, ST. JOHN 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 bay-oil, which is contained in the minute cells of 
 the leaves. The bay-oil is sent to St. Thomas and 
 is there mixed with white rum or alcohol in the 
 ratio of about one quart of oil to five hundred 
 quarts of rum, the resulting product being the 
 bay-rum of commerce. If cheap alcohol or rum 
 is used the product does not have the delicate 
 odor which is found when better grades are em- 
 ployed. The essential oil, which is worth from 
 five to seven dollars per quart, has a strong acrid 
 odor. 
 
 Occasionally bay -rum is made by distilling the 
 bay leaves directly in the rum, but this method is 
 slower and far more expensive. It has practically 
 been discontinued, although bay -rum made in this 
 manner is superior in quality and commands a 
 higher price. 
 
 The bay industry, therefore, presents one of the 
 possibilities of St. John. While various proprietors 
 are at present engaged in the cultivation of the 
 trees and the distilling of the oil, there can be no 
 doubt that development of this industry would 
 result in material benefit, especially if a more 
 modern type of still for the collection of the oil 
 were employed. 
 
 149 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Again, St. Jolin offers great possibiKties as a 
 cattle raising center. While the ground is gener- 
 ally steep and hilly, the slopes are covered with 
 excellent grass of all varieties and offer feeding 
 grounds for thousands of herds of cattle. At the 
 present time cattle raising is neglected by the 
 majority of landowners, there being but two real 
 stock farms on the island, with a total of about 
 six hundred head of cattle. Because of the in- 
 creased population that will come to the neighbor- 
 ing island of St. Thomas through the prospective 
 establishment of a naval station there, and because 
 of the fact that no duty would have to be paid on 
 cattle exported to Porto Rico since the two islands 
 are under the same government, a ready market 
 would be found for all cattle raised on St. John. 
 There would be no rivalry in cattle production on 
 the other islands of the group, for St. Thomas 
 cannot compare with St. John for pasturage or 
 for water supply and practically all of St. Croix 
 is given up to sugar cultivation. 
 
 The water surrounding the numerous small cays 
 
 that encircle St. John literally swarms with fish of 
 
 all species. Perhaps no better fishing grounds can 
 
 be found in the Antilles than those between St. 
 
 150 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 John and the cays to the westward — Congo Cay, 
 Lovango Cay, Mingo Cay, and Grass Cay. Yet 
 there is always an unsatisfied demand for fresh 
 fish in Charlotte-Amalia, and this demand must 
 increase in the future. What then could be a more 
 profitable investment than a suitable fishing boat 
 with a motor auxiliary? It can find a safe harbor 
 in any one of the numerous bays of St. John and, 
 with this island as a center, can fish the surround- 
 ing waters and carry the catch to the St. Thomas 
 market. 
 
 From the point of view of a tourist anxious to 
 try his piscatorial luck, a visit to the little cays 
 between the two larger islands is well worth while. 
 Lovango Cay is inhabited by a Danish fisherman 
 who rents the little island from the government 
 and who would be ready to show the visitor the 
 best location for fishing. By either trolling or rod 
 fishing success is certain as soon as the bait has 
 been in the water for the briefest possible time. 
 
 No better place for rod fishing can be found 
 than on Congo Cay, which is located due north of 
 Lovango Cay and faces the wide Atlantic. A 
 visit to this rocky island is an event. It consists 
 of nothing but a collection of boulders which give 
 
 151 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 the impression that they must have been piled 
 one on top of the other by some giant who wished 
 to amuse himself. Congo Cay presents a forbid- 
 ding appearance. Vegetation is noticeable by its 
 absence. The island resembles the upstanding fin 
 of a shark. But one landing place is found here, 
 and that is a mere ledge about two feet above 
 water level and not more than six feet wide and 
 twelve feet long. The visitor who is desirous of 
 fishing here must be quick of eye and nimble of 
 foot as he takes a hurried jump out of the rowboat 
 which carries him to his destination. Should a 
 heavy sea be running it would be inadvisable to 
 attempt to make the landing, for not only would 
 there be danger of smashing the boat on the rocks, 
 but, even if a landing is made, it might prove 
 impossible to embark for the return journey. 
 
 The best rod fishing is to be had on the extreme 
 eastern point of Congo Cay. Fish of all varieties 
 seem to congregate directly under the rocks, which 
 are some twenty feet above sea level, and to show 
 an eager desire to be caught. 
 
 The visitor is reminded here also of the abo- 
 rigines of St. Thomas in pre-Columbian times, who 
 must have come here for the fishing, for in the rocks 
 152 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 there are a number of small cavities, perfectly 
 rounded, in which the Indians evidently pounded 
 the salt used to preserve the fish they caught. 
 There is evidence that, while not engaged in fish- 
 ing, they were employed in carving a series of 
 apparently meaningless figures upon a large, flat 
 boulder on the eastern extremity of the cay. 
 Carvings of this character are named pictographs, 
 or petroglyphs. 
 
 "Petroglyph!" Unless one should happen to 
 be a professional archeologist, he may have to 
 consult a dictionary to find out the meaning of 
 this word. And yet it is rather simple: Petro 
 means stone, and glyph means a sign, so that the 
 complete word merely means a sign carved on 
 stone. So there you are, and the next time that a 
 passing gypsy carves a cabalistic sign upon the 
 stone pillars of your front entrance, signifying 
 that you keep a savage dog on your estate, and 
 that your property had best be left unvisited, 
 remark it well, for you will then actually be the 
 proud possessor of a bona fide petroglyph. 
 
 And so the Indians of the Antilles, in the days 
 before the coming of the Spanish conquistadors, 
 had an amusing habit of carving signs upon rocks 
 
 153 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 in certain of the islands inhabited by them. This 
 habit not only provided the carver with the whole- 
 some satisfaction that accompanies honest toil, but 
 it has since provided countless archeologists and 
 amateur archeologists with the joy of attempting 
 to decipher the meaning of the carvings. This is 
 especially true in the case of amateur archeolo- 
 gists, who see the most wonderful significance m 
 the humblest carving, so that the Simon-pure 
 archeologist not only has the original pleasure of 
 trying to unravel the mystery of the petroglyph, 
 but is permitted the additional joy of scoffing at 
 the attempts of the amateur. Thus the circle is 
 completed, and the shade of the Indian chuckles 
 with glee at the problems bestowed by him upon 
 those who have come after him. 
 
 Chalk is the principal weapon of the petro- 
 glyph hunter and is used by him to make the 
 marking of the carvings more distinct, so that 
 they will show up more clearly in the photographs. 
 There is nothing to prevent an enthusiast from 
 adding a carving or two of his own, not necessarily 
 by hewing grooves in the living rock, but by the 
 more simple and direct method of adding with 
 chalk such Unes as his fancy dictates. But that, 
 of course, is another story. 
 154 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Petroglyphs are to be found on many of the 
 islands of the West Indies. In fact, they are 
 found from the northern Hmits of North America 
 to the southernmost point of South America. 
 Naturally, many of them have become obliterated 
 by the action of the weather on the rocks. In 
 addition to this, numerous rock carvings must still 
 be hidden by the undergrowth of the primeval 
 forests, or be in such inaccessible places that their 
 very existence is unsuspected. When they are 
 found in the open, the rocks with carvings upon 
 them are generally near running water. 
 
 It is one of the favorite theories of the local 
 historians of the West Indies that the presence of 
 these petroglyphs indicates the existence of a pre- 
 Columbian place of worship. Using this theory 
 as a base, the local authors as a rule begin to write 
 of "Carib sacrifices," "Carib orgies," and what 
 not, and make good copy out of the bloodcurdling 
 yells of the unhappy victims of this fierce warrior 
 tribe. But probably posterity will never know the 
 true significance of these rock carvings, nor will 
 it ever understand the vagaries of the Indian mind 
 which made them. 
 
 The carvings on Congo Cay are on the rock at 
 
 155 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 the extreme eastern part of the island. The rock 
 lies almost horizontally and faces, to the eastward, 
 a small island named Caravel Rock. There is a 
 large cavity in the center of this rock, and one 
 visitor suggested that this cavity was artificial and 
 might have been used to store the blood of the 
 victims of the Carib sacrifices. But here is another 
 chance to see what a difference there is between 
 cold facts and charming theories. In the first 
 place, no proof ever has been brought forward 
 that the islands of St. John and St. Thomas 
 were inhabited by Caribs. In the second place 
 Congo Cay, bleak, barren, hard to land on, 
 and with no place upon which to hold sacri- 
 ficial ceremonies, would be too exposed to the 
 neighboring islands to allow Que to suppose that 
 a marauding tribe of piratical Caribs would have 
 selected this place for the cannibal feasts. Third, 
 the cavity in the rock was undoubtedly caused by 
 the decomposition of the stone, and there are sev- 
 eral rocks on Congo Cay that have cavities of this 
 order. It is true that the opening of the cavity is 
 somewhat smaller than the area of the lower sur- 
 face of the hole, but one can readily see that the 
 cavity would fill up with sea water whenever the 
 156 
 
-ZX" 
 
 HOSPITABLE CONGO CAY, ST. JOHN 
 
 =.-- ^ 
 
 THE ONLY LANDING-PLACE ON CONGO CAT 
 
PRIVATEER BAY, ST. JOHN 
 
 
 BUILDINGS ON CAROLINE ESTATE, AND BAY-OIL STILL, ST. JOHN 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 waves broke over Congo Cay during stormy- 
 weather and that this water would attack the 
 sides of the cavity and make it^ larger without 
 necessarily enlarging the mouth. 
 
 But to return to the mainland and to the sub- 
 ject of sugar, St. John is not well adapted to the 
 cultivation of cane and the manufacture of sugar, 
 under modern conditions. Because of the present 
 cost of labor this island, with its steep roads and 
 hills, could not compete with sugar plantations on 
 islands where flat areas make the gathering of the 
 cane an insignificant item of expense. Even in 
 the days of long ago the collecting of the sugar 
 cane at the mill was done with a considerable 
 expenditure of trouble and labor. Wooden troughs 
 led down the incline to the level roads, and the 
 cane was shot down these inchnes and loaded on 
 wagons when it reached the road. Many stories 
 have been told of slaves who were decapitated or 
 who lost a leg or an arm when they were struck 
 by a heavy piece of sugar cane which escaped from 
 the trough and came hurtling with terrific force 
 through the air. On some estates it was found 
 necessary to arrange some sprt of cable tramway 
 
 to convey the cane to the mill. On the summit of 
 
 157 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 some of the hills immense lignum-vitse posts are 
 still found to which these cables were attached. 
 
 But if the production of sugar would not be 
 profitable, undoubtedly truck farming would am- 
 ply reward one who undertakes it on a large scale 
 and the raising in the West Indies of all sorts of 
 vegetables is a possibility which is frequently and 
 strangely overlooked. The consumption of canned 
 vegetables by the well-to-do in these regions is 
 quite large, and the small quantities of fresh vege- 
 tables that are raised are in demand at good prices, 
 It is a common mistake to suppose that the tropics 
 are not suited to the production of garden truck. 
 As a matter of fact, tomatoes, lettuce, beans, 
 melons, et cetera, not only thrive when well 
 watered, but bear more abundantly than in north- 
 ern climates. The raising of these vegetables on 
 St. John would give employment to many, and a 
 profitable market in St. Thomas would be assured. 
 Another possibility is the erection of tourist 
 hotels on St. John. The acquisition of the island 
 by the United States should make these popular 
 with the tourist. St. John should be even more 
 popular than St. Thomas, for while St. Thomas is 
 attractive because it has a busier outlook on ac- 
 158 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 count of the many ships that enter its wonderful 
 harbor, and because of its magnificent scenery, 
 St. John excels in scenery, and scenery attracts 
 the tourist. Climb any hilltop in St. John and 
 look north, east, south or west, and unrivaled 
 views delight the eye. The surrounding islands of 
 vivid green serve only to make more pronounced 
 the contrast between the pale blue sky and the 
 dark blue sea. Surely no other island in the 
 Antilles offers views that can compare with this in 
 natural beauty. 
 
 But St. John has other attractions for the tour- 
 ist than its scenery. If one is searching for the 
 picturesque, it may be found in abundant measure 
 in the ruins of the old plantation buildings whose 
 walls and quaint staircases still exist in the tropical 
 undergrowth. What can be more interesting than 
 the exploration of an old mill with kettles for the 
 boiling of syrup still intact, and of the remains of 
 a "great house" with its imposing avenue and slave 
 quarters and kitchens nearby.^ Is the visitor in- 
 terested in boating, bathing, hunting, or riding? 
 The forty odd bays of the island will repay a sys- 
 tematic exploration with a small yacht, and will 
 astound one with the variety of their scenery. 
 
 159 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Sea bathing here is equal to any in the West Indies 
 and excels that at many of the resorts that are 
 famed for this attraction. Then pigeons and doves 
 are found at all seasons; these make excellent 
 shooting and good eating. 
 
 There is no road on St. John that is more than 
 a bridle path; but also let it be said that there is 
 no road that does not have features to delight the 
 visitor. The road most commonly used by the 
 inhabitants leads from Cruz Bay through the 
 center of the island to Emmaus, and from there 
 to the East End settlement. Directly after leav- 
 ing the Cruz Bay landing one ascends the hill, 
 passing, in turn, Herman Farm with its extensive 
 ruins, and Adrian, another forgotten plantation 
 which is almost entirely obliterated by the jungle. 
 At Esperance a road branches off to the south coast 
 and to Eeef Bay. This branch road leads over the 
 summit of Camel Mountain, the highest peak on 
 the island, and then dips toward the sea at a 
 precipitous angle. 
 
 Some half mile inland from the shores of Reef 
 
 Bay one obtains a distant glimpse of the Reef Bay 
 
 waterfall. A searching glance is necessary, as it 
 
 is hard to make out the thin thread of water that 
 
 160 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 comes tumbling from the heights above. The 
 rocks back of the waterfall are plainly to be seen, 
 however. It is said that this waterfall is never 
 dry. Occasionally it becomes so small as to be 
 almost negligible, but it never seems entirely to 
 vanish. One is privileged to surmise, therefore, 
 that in pre-Columbian days, when the woods of 
 the island were still intact and fulfilled their pur- 
 pose in drawing water from the clouds, the volume 
 of water passing over the rocks must have been 
 considerably larger. 
 
 There are in reality two falls, but the higher 
 fall is difiicult of access. The lower fall is about 
 forty-five feet high. As the crow flies, it is not 
 over one and a quarter miles from the sea and 
 not more than half a mile from the road. In order 
 to visit it, it is necessary to follow a dried-up 
 watercourse, and then cut a way through a some- 
 what dense thicket. Before the hurricane of 
 October, 1916, there was a small footpath follow- 
 ing this water course, and the ascent to the falls 
 was far easier than it is to-day. 
 
 The lower fall empties itself into a pool some 
 five feet deep and about twelve feet in diameter. 
 This pool empties its contents into a second pool 
 11 161 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 about seven feet lower than the first. The second 
 pool, in which the water is quite tranquil, is about 
 six and one-half feet deep, fourteen feet wide and 
 nine feet broad, and makes an excellent bathing 
 place. The water, filtered during its long passage 
 through the hills, is excellently adapted for drink- 
 ing purposes, and it is possible that the Indians 
 inhabiting the south coast of St. John must have 
 come here for their supply of drinking water. 
 
 Around this pool, in which bathing is a pleas- 
 ure—a cold pleasure— one finds huge boulders 
 upon which are more of the aboriginal carvings 
 known as petroglyphs. 
 
 There really are three sets of rock carvings on 
 the stones surrounding the pool, and it is impos- 
 sible to get all three sets in one picture. The most 
 elaborate set is found just above the edge of the 
 pool and the Indians seem to have designed the 
 carvings so that their reflection would show clearly 
 in the water. A few of the figures seem to depict 
 a very crudely drawn human face, consisting of a 
 circle for the face, with smaller circles or just 
 dots for the eyes, and a line for the mouth. In 
 one or two instances some extra hues below the 
 large circle may represent arms and legs. But the 
 162 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 reader is at liberty to scoff at this suggestion. 
 The largest figure of all, in appearance somewhat 
 Uke a figure eight, or like a sand glass, is perhaps 
 the most inexplicable. 
 
 In order to give one some idea of these carv- 
 ings, it may be said that from the figure on the 
 extreme left side of the rock, just above the water 
 line, to the figure on the extreme right hand side, 
 just above the water line, is a distance of ten feet 
 four inches. 
 
 . On the same large rock, a little to the left, but 
 at a much higher point above the pool, one can 
 find another series of petroglyphs even more enig- 
 matical than those just above the water level. 
 This group consists of six figures, two of which 
 represent somewhat simply designed human forms 
 — strongly reminiscent of the pictures chalked by 
 children on wooden fences — and two simple faces. 
 
 On the extreme western side of the pool is 
 another rock upon which are seen three more 
 carvings. This rock may well be named the 
 " Archeologist's Delight." No doubt every person 
 who ever has seen it, excepting of course the origi- 
 nal Indians, has evolved some deep theory regard- 
 ing the carvings on this boulder. Almost any 
 
 163 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 meaning may be given to two of the three figures, 
 the one on the extreme left of the photograph and 
 the one directly above the carving that looks 
 exactly like a cross. It is therefore possible to 
 eliminate two carvings at the very start, which 
 is far more than would be done by seriously minded 
 amateur archeologists who would deem it their duty 
 to explain fully these two problematical carvings. 
 But there still remains the crosslike figure. 
 Can it be that the teachings'of Christianity had 
 penetrated to the New World before the discovery 
 of St. John and the Virgin Island group in 1493? 
 This is to be doubted. Then were the Indians 
 converted to Christianity by the piously inclined 
 conquistadors? Considering that these same con- 
 quistadors were responsible for the total extermi- 
 nation of the Indian race some thirty years after 
 the discovery of the West Indies, this also is to be 
 doubted. Then why the cross? Perhaps the most 
 ingenious explanation is the one found in an early 
 history of the Danish West Indies in which the 
 author states that the Spanish monks saw the other 
 carvings on the rocks and deemed them to be the 
 work of the Devil. In order speedily to overcome 
 the evil influence, the earnest friars carved the 
 164 
 
di& 
 
 PETROGLYPHS ON CONGO CAY 
 Caravel Rock in Middle Ground 
 
 THE CAROLINE ESTATE HOUSE AND PASTURE, ST. JOHN 
 
mm,^"%^- 
 
 THE CROSS THAT IS NOT A CROSS, REEF BAY, ST. JOHN 
 
 INDIAN PETROGLTPHS, REEF BAY, ST. JOHN 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 sign of the cross on the rock, thereby neutralizing 
 all other influences. 
 
 But the carving of the cross appears to be of 
 the same age as the other figures on the same rock. 
 And the suggestion is made that the sign of the 
 cross has been found in many places to which it is 
 positively known that Christianity never pene- 
 trated. Yet the sign is there, and has been found 
 in many forms, perhaps one of the most common 
 of which is the swastika sign. This sign repre- 
 sents nothing more than the four cardinal points of 
 the compass, east, south, west and north, and by a 
 process of evolution first became a figure resembling 
 two interlaced S figures and finally a simple cross. 
 But when challenged on the subject, we must 
 withdraw this explanation of the cross figure at 
 Reef Bay. The carving representing the cross 
 stands seventeen inches high, and the length of 
 the cross arm is eleven inches. 
 
 It is time to turn from the mysterious petro- 
 glyphs and follow the south coast, by the Parforce 
 Estate, once the property of one of the richest 
 planters on the island. Rather than use ordinary 
 plaster for the finishing of his walls, this land- 
 owner had them decorated with ground rice mixed 
 
 165 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 with some adhesive substance; he claimed that 
 this gave the walls a smoother appearance. He 
 lived to regret his extravagance, when the abolition 
 of slavery changed his former prosperous position 
 to one of dire poverty. 
 
 The road now mounts again, and after an ardu- 
 ous climb the traveler reaches the summit of Bor- 
 deaux Mountain, the second highest peak of St. 
 John. From here one seems almost able to touch 
 the crest of Sage Mountain on Tortola, so near 
 does this elevation appear to be in the bright 
 atmosphere of the tropics. The best view of Coral 
 Bay can be had from this peak, and the white 
 buildings of the Emmaus settlement form a promi- 
 nent feature of the landscape. 
 
 Descending toward the bay, the first estate 
 reached is the Caroline property, famous in the 
 annals of the slave insurrection. Here, it is said, 
 the murdered daughter of the St. John judge still 
 haunts the rooms of the "great house." Emmaus 
 is reached next and one had to admire the industry 
 of the Moravian Brethren who, in the eighteenth 
 century, despite opposition and poverty, were able 
 to erect the large buildings that were found here 
 previous to the hurricane of 1916. 
 166 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 A little further along, on the road which leads 
 to the East End settlement, the extreme eastern 
 inhabited point of the island, one passes the re- 
 mains of the fort whose garrison was massacred 
 in 1733. A cannon or two is still embedded on the 
 hillslope. Then the road continues along the south 
 coast, up hill and down dale, and one has every 
 opportunity of admiring the extensive inlets which 
 form part of Coral Bay, whenever the road rises 
 to any height above sea level. The pretentious 
 farm of Hermitage, with its numerous buildings, 
 is passed. This estate, like the Caroline Estate, 
 is devoted to stock raising. Finally, one gets to 
 the East End settlement, whose inhabitants live 
 their quiet lives far removed from the bustle of 
 the outside world. 
 
 The explorer must return by the same road 
 until he again reaches Hermitage. There he can 
 take a branch road leading to the north coast of 
 the island. The road to the westward along the 
 north coast offers even more scenic splendors than 
 does the south coast road, since the island of 
 Tortola presents a succession of views that delight 
 the eye. 
 
 The first estate one comes to on going west is 
 
 167 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Leinster Bay, where an excellent boarding house 
 for use by occasional visitors was once kept. The 
 storm of 1916 blew this house down. The wonder- 
 ful old mahogany furniture that was the envy of all 
 who came to stay here was scattered in all directions. 
 
 Near by are the remains of the building occu- 
 pied by the only Masonic Lodge on St. John. 
 One can almost picture the banquets held by the 
 Masons when they assembled here in the olden 
 days, when feasts were of first importance in the 
 life of the West Indian planters. 
 
 Annaberg, also called Brim Bay, is the next 
 estate. Report has it that when the slave revolt 
 of 1733 was being put down, three hundred of the 
 rebels were found upon a precipitous cliff that 
 can be seen on this estate and, rather than suffer 
 capture, dashed themselves on the rocks below. 
 While an act of this kind might actually have been 
 committed by one or two of the slaves, the story 
 can hardly be true of such a large number as 
 three hundred, for the entire number of the rebels 
 at large did not amount to this total. 
 
 There is an excellent view from this road of 
 Mary's Point, a square peninsula which reaches 
 out toward the British Thatch Island. The Nar- 
 168 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 rows between Thatch Island and the mainland of 
 St. John are only a mile wide. In former days 
 slaves who thought they might meet with kinder 
 treatment on Tortola than they had experienced 
 from their Danish owners, used to defy the numer- 
 ous sharks found in these waters and swim across 
 the strait. It must be remembered that slavery 
 was abolished on the British islands of the West 
 Indies in 1838 but that the institution continued 
 its existence on the Danish islands until 1848. 
 Thus if any slave held on St. John between these 
 dates managed to reach British territory, he 
 immediately became free, so long as he remained 
 there. 
 
 Even after the days of fleeing slaves there was 
 excitement in The Narrows. Smugglers did a 
 thriving trade across The Narrows, so the British 
 government was obliged to erect a custom house 
 and fort upon the isolated Thatch Island. These 
 have long since been abandoned. 
 
 After crossing the peninsula of Mary's Point, 
 the wayfarer arrives at Maho Bay and afterwards 
 at America Hill. The estate house on this latter 
 property is a noticeable feature of the landscape, 
 for it is built upon the very summit of a hill which 
 
 169 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 has the appearance of a sugar loaf. The hill is 
 some six hundred feet high, and the ascent to the 
 house must have furnished needed exercise to its 
 former owners. 
 
 Cinnamon Bay and Dennis Bay come next. 
 Both were in former days the sites of important 
 sugar factories. From here the way leads across 
 the island. At K. C. Bay are the largest sugar 
 factory ruins on the island. Here also is a coconut 
 grove in which the damage done by the late hurri- 
 cane was tremendous. On the hilltop, before the 
 beginning of the descent to Cruz Bay, may be 
 seen the almost obliterated remains of another 
 Danish fort, whose history no one seems to know. 
 To the tourist who is interested in old colonial 
 furniture, St. John offers interesting hunting 
 grounds. In the most ramshackle negro cabins 
 one is liable to run across the dilapidated remains 
 of the most wonderfully carved mahogany four 
 poster beds. These antiques may be marred by a 
 century of neglect, but the wonderfully skillful 
 cabinet makers of St. Thomas can easily restore 
 them to their former beauty. Not only bedsteads, 
 but sewing tables, claw-foot serving tables and 
 interestmg looking chairs are scattered over the 
 island. These were probably given to the negro 
 170 
 
WHARF AND OLD FORT, CORAL BAY, ST. JOHN 
 
 HERMITAGE ESTATE, ST. JOHN 
 
CINDERELLA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 laborers on the estates when the planters departed 
 on account of the waning of prosperity. The 
 visitor who picks up one or two of these pieces 
 will be able in future years to boast of them to 
 admiring friends. 
 
 It will be seen, therefore, that St. John, the 
 Cinderella of the Virgin Islands, has her charms 
 and that the exploitation of the island would well 
 repay the original outlay. A suitable tourist 
 hotel, built to entertain the traveler who is content 
 with what the country offers and does not insist 
 upon imported food, would be well patronized. 
 Let a few young and energetic men, accustomed 
 to the handling of West Indian laborers, start 
 produce farms on the rich soil of St. John and they 
 would be certain of large returns. Let some 
 capitalist stock a farm with a large number of 
 cattle of a breed that will thrive in this climate, 
 and he would be sure of a profitable investment. 
 Let the bay tree industry be encouraged by having 
 expert men advise the planters as to the best 
 methods of increasing the groves. 
 
 When all this is done, it will be found that 
 St. John, now only a name and a small speck on 
 the map, will become as important as its more 
 prosperous sisters to the west and south. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 THE CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 
 
 WHY THE TONGUES OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH'S MEN BECAME 
 "BIGGE"-A SUBTLE METHOD OF POISONING— A JOINT 
 OCCUPATION THAT LED TO MURDER— A STARTLING SUC- 
 CESSION OF OWNERS. PLOTS AND COUNTERPLOTS-A 
 BLUFF THAT SUCCEEDED-A VISITOR WHO DIED OF MORTI- 
 FICATION-A CONFLAGRATION THAT PROMOTED HEALTH 
 -AN ABANDONED ISLAND RESCUED BY DENMARK-A 
 SYMBOLIC TRANSFER OF TITLES-OUT OF THE CLUTCHES 
 OF AN EXPLOITING COMPANY. 
 
 NO record has been discovered of a visit 
 to St. Croix between the time of its dis- 
 covery in 1493 and the day in 1587 
 when Sir Walter Raleigh touched here. There is, 
 however, assurance that the Indian inhabitants of 
 St. Croix made a few visits to Porto Rico during 
 this period and instilled a lively fear in the early 
 Spanish settlers of the latter island. It was the 
 practice of the St. Croix Indians to go to Porto 
 Rico to manufacture their sea-going canoes, as 
 the Porto Rico forests bore trees of greater size 
 than those of St. Croix. On one of these occasions 
 a Porto Rican chieftain demanded that seven of 
 the St. Croix cannibals remain on his island in 
 order to be kept as hostages in case of attack by 
 other Indians from the same island. When the 
 172 
 
CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 
 
 companions of the luckless seven departed, the 
 Borinquen chief promptly put his hostages to 
 death. Upon their return the St. Croix Indians 
 speedily avenged the death of their fellows. To 
 quote from an early historian: , 
 
 "They cut the King with his familie in peeces 
 and eate them in the revenge of their seven work- 
 men; and then they made faggottes of their bones 
 to carry to the wives and children of their slayne 
 workmen, in witness that the bodies of their 
 husbands and parents lay not unrevenged, and 
 therewith shewed the faggottes of bones to our 
 men [the Spaniards], who being astonished with 
 their fiercenesse and crueltie, were enforced to 
 dissemble the matter and holde their peace, quar- 
 reling no further at any time." 
 
 The narrative of one of the men who accom- 
 panied Sir Walter Raleigh on his expedition to 
 Virginia, which paused on St. Croix, tells only of 
 the discomforts suffered by some of the colonists 
 who ate inadvertently of the manchineel apples 
 that are found in quantities on the shores of the 
 island: 
 
 "Some of the women and men, by eating a 
 small fruit like a greene apple were fearfully 
 
 173 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 troubled with a sudden burning in their mouths 
 and swelling of their tongues so bigge that some of 
 them could not speak." 
 
 It was fortunate for Raleigh's companions that 
 some of them did not suffer worse effects from their 
 lack of caution in eating these poisonous fruits. 
 Tales are told in the West Indies of people who 
 have died after eating the manchineel or who have 
 lost their eyes because the juice of the fruit touched 
 the pupils. Many negroes, especially in the Ba- 
 hama Islands, have attempted to do away with 
 their enemies by means of this juice. A favorite 
 practice of the would-be poisoner is to place a 
 little of the sap taken from a broken twig of the 
 manchineel tree on the point of a knife and to 
 insert this point in a raw potato. The potato is 
 then cooked and given to the "vactim. In the 
 course of a short time a mysterious slow poisoning 
 results which baffles all medical skill, since the 
 presence of the acid of the manchineel cannot be 
 detected in the stomach when it is given in such 
 small doses. Unless the victim keeps a close watch 
 upon the preparation of his food, he will ultimately 
 succumb to the effects of this subtle method of 
 poisoning. 
 174 
 
CHECKERED HISTORY OE ST. CROIX 
 
 From 15S7 until 162-5. St. Croix appears to 
 have been unoccupied by either natives or visitors 
 from Europe. History' does not tell hovr the fierce 
 tribes that Hved here vrere exterminated. In 
 16-25 Dutch. Enghsh and French settlers seem to 
 have occupied the island jointly. As early as 1645 
 the island sustained some six hundred settlers, who 
 were governed by general officers appointed by the 
 respective countries from which the settlers origi- 
 nated. This peaceful H\dng together on one 
 island of three different nationahties was not to 
 last long, for in 1645 war broke out between the 
 Dutch and the English colonists. The Dutch 
 governor's residence witnessed the killing in this 
 vear of the governor of the British part of the 
 island, while he was on a ^isit. It is a matter of 
 doubt whether this killing was accidental or by 
 design. 
 
 In retahation, the British planters flew to arms, 
 gave battle to their neighbors, and wounded the 
 Dutch governor so severely that he died a few 
 davs later. The Hollanders now elected another 
 governor, who, under promise of protection, ^dsited 
 the British part of the island in order to attempt 
 to arrange matters amicably with the planters of 
 
 175 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 that nationality. The latter, however, still in- 
 censed over the loss of their chief, saw fit to vio- 
 late their promise of safe conduct and had the 
 Dutch governor shot publicly. 
 
 Finding that they were unable to continue 
 living on the same island with the British without 
 being constantly subjected to hostile raids, the 
 Hollanders departed shortly afterward for the 
 islands of St. Eustatius and St. Martin, which 
 they then colonized. 
 
 The French settlers, numbering perhaps one 
 hundred and fifty, most of them deserters from the 
 island of St. Christopher, having sympathized 
 actively with the Dutch during their quarrel with 
 the British, now considered discretion the better 
 part of valor and followed the example of the 
 Hollanders by leaving St. Croix. Upon asking 
 permission from the English government, they 
 were allowed to depart. Passage was engaged on 
 a British privateering vessel which carried them to 
 Guadaloupe. On their arrival, the French not 
 only refused to pay the captain of this vessel for 
 their passage but complained of the treatment 
 they had suffered at British hands. The governor 
 immediately seized the ship and declared her a 
 176 
 
CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 
 
 lawful prize, on the pretext that she was an armed 
 vessel without the necessary government papers. 
 
 This left the British in undisputed possession 
 of St. Croix from 1645 to 1650. In the latter year 
 the Spanish governor of Porto Rico, noting the 
 prosperity of the settlement and jealous of the 
 riches that were found so close to his own colony, 
 decided that it was better to claim St. Croix for 
 Spain than to have it remain a possession of Great 
 Britain. So he sent an expedition of twelve hun- 
 dred men to the island. They landed at night and 
 fell upon the unprepared inhabitants, slaying a 
 large number of them before the alarm could be 
 given. 
 
 On the following day two British prisoners were 
 sent to their compatriots who had taken refuge 
 in the woods and mountains, to inform them that 
 they were given three weeks in which to leave the 
 island. The refugees promptly dispatched a vessel 
 to the governor of St. Christopher with an urgent 
 plea that he send a fleet and take them and their 
 possessions off the island. Upon the arrival of 
 the ships the planters departed, leaving the Span- 
 ish in possession. 
 
 Learning of the disaster that had overtaken 
 12 177 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 the British colonists, the original Dutch settlers 
 thought they could return to their old plantations 
 on St. Croix. When they landed, thinking that 
 the Spanish forces had long since departed, they 
 took no precautions to discover if the island was 
 still inhabited. This rashness cost them dear, for 
 a Spanish garrison of sixty soldiers had been left 
 behind. These soldiers gave battle to the invaders 
 and killed most of the party, taking the remainder 
 prisoners. 
 
 The French on St. Christopher also had heard 
 of the defeat of the British colonists, and thought 
 the time ripe to regain their former possessions. 
 They accordingly fitted out a large expedition of 
 two ships and one hundred and sixty of their brav- 
 est men under De Vaugalan. Orders were given 
 to kill or take prisoners any Spaniards who might 
 be found on St. Croix. The smaller vessel arrived 
 before the other ship, and from this about forty 
 men landed. These men were ambushed by the 
 Spanish garrison and all but three or four were 
 killed after a brave and desperate defense. A day 
 or two later the second vessel anchored. After 
 waiting three days for its convoy. Commander 
 De Vaugalan, ignorant of the disaster that had 
 178 
 
CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 
 
 overtaken the men from the first ship, determined 
 to lay siege to the Spanish fort. He surrounded 
 it and summoned the garrison to surrender. The 
 Spanish chief, thinking that he had to do with a 
 company of adventurers or pirates who might be 
 in need of provisions, sent a cow and a supply of 
 wine to the besiegers. This peace offering had no 
 other effect than to provoke another demand for 
 a surrender of the fort in two hours, with a threat 
 that if this command were not obeyed a general 
 assault would be made and no quarter given to the 
 garrison. Being under the impression that the 
 strength of the French was larger than it really 
 was, the Spaniards surrendered and embarked for 
 Porto Rico on a vessel that had been put at their 
 disposal, together with their arms and baggage. 
 
 Upon entering the fort, De Vaugalan found 
 here a few prisoners who had survived the ill-fated 
 expedition of the Hollanders. These he sent to 
 their own island of St. Eustatius. 
 
 A sequel to these various operations on St. 
 Croix between 1645 and 1650 was that the expelled 
 British planters complained to their home govern- 
 ment, and Cromwell, noting the hold which Spain 
 was attempting to get on the West Indies, decided 
 
 179 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 to declare war against that country. In 1655 he 
 succeeded in depriving her of the important island 
 
 of Jamaica. 
 
 When the French were once more in possession 
 of St. Croix, it was determined by the home author- 
 ities to lose no time in colonizing the island. 
 Three hundred men, under command of Auger, 
 who was appointed governor, were dispatched for 
 this purpose. This appointment so grieved De 
 Vaugalan, who thought he would be rewarded for 
 his gallant services, that he died of grief and morti- 
 fication shortly afterward. 
 
 The new settlement proved to be so unhealthy 
 that three governors died in quick succession, as 
 well as two-thirds of the colonists. It was reasoned 
 that this high rate of mortality was occasioned by 
 the dense forests with which the island was cov- 
 ered. Accordingly, fire was set to the woods and 
 the colonists took to their ships until the woods 
 were burned. The conflagration was a great 
 advantage in two ways, for not only did the island 
 become healthier but the wood ashes decidedly 
 increased the fertility of the soil. 
 
 Shortly afterward measures were taken by 
 France which went far toward nullifying the efforts 
 
 180 
 
CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 
 
 of the planters to make St. Croix a prosperous 
 colony. Oppressive taxes were levied and trade 
 was restricted to the other French West Indian 
 islands. In consequence the revenues from St. 
 Croix became negligible. 
 
 In 1651 various French islands, including St. 
 Croix, were sold for 120,000 livres to the Knights 
 of Malta, a French religious order at whose head 
 was Louis XIV. But it was not until 1653 that 
 this organization took possession of St. Croix, 
 "in order to form an establishment in the West 
 Indies for the service and defense of Christianity 
 and for the conversion of the savages to the Catho- 
 lic religion." On what island these savages were 
 to be found, history does not state. It is more 
 than probable that' the statement was made 
 only to give an air of rehgious endeavor to an en- 
 terprise which had for its sole object the aggran- 
 dizement of France. The Knights of Malta were 
 to hold the island for the crown, and were not 
 allowed to appoint anyone but a Frenchman for 
 governor. 
 
 In spite of this change of ownership, afiPairs 
 remained in a precarious state. So bad did the 
 situation become that a relief ship, loaded with 
 
 181 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 merchandise and farming implements, had to be 
 sent out in 1657. When this ship arrived the 
 colonists, who had become completely disgusted 
 with conditions, seized the vessel, forced the sailors 
 to do their will, and proceeded to Brazil, where 
 they established themselves. 
 
 A new governor, Du Bois, who was appointed 
 in 1659, accepted the post on condition that he 
 be allowed to remove all restrictions as to the com- 
 merce of the island and that he be given a force of 
 400 men to defend the island in case of an invasion 
 by the Spanish or the Porto Ricans. Du Bois 
 arrived in 1659 and found conditions even worse 
 than they had been pictured. He fell sick here 
 and was obliged to return to St. Christopher, 
 where he remained until 1661 to recuperate. Then 
 he returned with another company of colonists. 
 Prosperity was renewed, thanks to his untiring 
 efforts. 
 
 The wise Governor Du Bois continued in power 
 even after 1665, when the French West India 
 Company purchased the privileges and posses- 
 sions of the Knights of Malta for 500,000 livres. 
 But even he was not able to prevent the French 
 West India Company from enforcing its rule that 
 182 
 
CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 
 
 commerce was to be restricted to French islands 
 and to France. Thus it was not long before evil 
 days again beset the colony. 
 
 In 1670 only about two hundred settlers, to- 
 gether with their slaves, remained on the island. 
 By 1674 affairs of the French West India Company 
 were in such a bad condition that Louis XIV was 
 obliged to take St. Croix over as a part of his 
 dominions. For a while longer the settlers con- 
 tinued their existence under these unprofitable 
 conditions. Many of them gave up their holdings 
 and went to other colonies. Finally, in 1695, 
 when the population was 147 whites and 623 
 slaves, it was decided to abandon the island en- 
 tirely and to join the French planters on St. 
 Domingue. The French government, feeling that 
 St. Domingue would benefit by this influx of agri- 
 culturists, gave orders to abandon St. Croix and 
 to burn all the houses on the island. The harbor 
 works were to be destroyed, and such planters as 
 might refuse to leave were to be compelled to do so. 
 
 Yet the French government continued to lay 
 claim to the island and resented any efforts on the 
 part of other nations to get control of it. In 1725 
 a report was current in the West Indies that the 
 
 183 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 British had in mind an occupation of the island, 
 and this report induced Governor Moth of St. 
 Thomas to urge the Danish West India Company 
 to attempt to forestall the British and join St. 
 Croix to the existing Danish colony. He had also 
 heard that some private individuals in Denmark 
 had offered to buy the island from France, and he 
 voiced his fears that if St. Croix should become 
 the property of individuals, rather than of the 
 Danish West India Company, the islands of St. 
 Thomas and St. John would promptly be ruined 
 through the granting of free trade to St. Croix. 
 He also urged that if St. Croix were joined to St. 
 Thomas and St. John, both islands would be the 
 gainers. 
 
 In 1733 France was urgently in need of money 
 to carry on the wars she was waging in Poland 
 and she consented to sell St. Croix to the Danish 
 West India and Guinea Company. The exact 
 sum for which the island was sold is doubtful. 
 According to Bryan Edwards, it amounted to 
 seventy-five thousand pounds, but Abb^ Raynal, 
 a French historian who had every opportunity of 
 being better informed than Edwards, named 
 758,000 livres as the price agreed on. Half of the 
 184 
 
CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 
 
 price was to be paid on the exchange of the rati- 
 fications, and the balance in eighteen months. 
 The Danish West India and Guinea Company was 
 at the same time reorganized in order to raise 
 funds to pay for the island and to make arrange- 
 ments for its exploitation. 
 
 It was not until 1734, when the company's ship, 
 Unity, arrived, that the governor of St. Thomas was 
 informed of the acquisition of St. Croix. Governor 
 Moth was named governor of the three islands, 
 and he was directed to take over St. Croix. 
 
 Preparations were made at once to go to the 
 new possession. A number of the settlers on St. 
 John who had sufiFered the almost total loss of their 
 property through the slave insurrection of 1733, 
 were only too glad to accompany the governor 
 and attempt to restore their lost fortunes by a 
 venture on the richer island of St. Croix. On 
 August 31, 1734, services were held in the churches 
 of Charlotte-Amalia for the benefit of those who 
 were to leave. On the following day the governor, 
 together with the prospective settlers, embarked 
 on four vessels for the island to the south. On 
 reaching what is now the site of Christiansted 
 they found the fort in a comparatively good state 
 
 185 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 of preservation, but the shore was so covered with 
 a dense jungle that the party had to remain on 
 board their vessels until the slaves had cleared 
 land enough for them to live on with any degree 
 of comfort. On September 6 the royal standard 
 of Denmark was hoisted over the fortifications 
 and the new governor's commission was read in 
 the hearing of all. 
 
 Not until the beginning of 1735 did the French 
 officials arrive from Martinique to turn the island 
 over to Denmark. Imposing official ceremonies 
 marked this event. Governor Moth held a parade 
 of his forces, and fired a salute of nine shots for 
 the Danish flag. The remainder of the program 
 included the snuffing out of a candle and its re- 
 lighting, the pulling of plants and herbs, the 
 breaking of branches from the trees, the tasting of 
 water from the brook, and the throwing of stones. 
 In this symbolic manner the governor indicated 
 that he took possession of the island for the king 
 of Denmark. 
 
 The first settling of St. Croix was naturally 
 attended with a great deal of expense. A costly 
 survey had to be made, and transportation for 
 new colonists had to be provided. 
 186 
 
CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 
 
 In 1734 a new charter was granted to the Dan- 
 ish West India and Guinea Company to take the 
 place of the temporary charter made two years 
 previously. In this new charter it was stipulated 
 that Danish merchants were to buy sugar only 
 from the islands belonging to the Danish West 
 India Company. Thus a trade monopoly was 
 given to the company which prohibited ships of 
 other nationalities from calling at the company's 
 possessions. There were other concessions which, 
 while of benefit to the Danish stockholders, proved 
 to be a decided detriment to the planters. 
 
 The Company's first care was to obtain planters 
 for the three hundred estates which it wished to 
 lay out on St. Croix. English colonists from 
 Tortola and Virgin Gorda, who were acquainted 
 with the greater agricultural possibilities of St. 
 Croix, were easily persuaded to move. Efforts 
 were also made to get the better class of settlers 
 from the Island of Barbadoes. The Company also 
 sent to Germany for a few families ; but these 
 proved, in the words of Governor Moth, "anything 
 but satisfactory, the men being drunkards and the 
 women dirty, lazy and immoral." 
 
 The directors of the Company proposed to send 
 
 187 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 refugee debtors from Denmark to St. Croix, but 
 the local authorities of the islands were much 
 against this step; they did not think that this class 
 of colonists would prove satisfactory. 
 
 The survey of the island was almost finished 
 in 1735, but the fort at Christiansted was not 
 completed until 1740. The plantations, as sur- 
 veyed, were generally 3000 feet by 2000 feet, and 
 were sold at from 500 to 600 rix-doUars, for sugar 
 plantations, and at from 120 to 240 rix-dollars for 
 land suitable for the raising of cotton. The latter 
 land, owing to its dryness, was, of course, of less 
 value. 
 
 - Soon there was bitter discontent on the part 
 of the colonists because of the restrictions and 
 monopolies enjoined by the Company. The 
 planters resorted to all kinds of subterfuges to 
 sell their sugar to ships of other nationalities. 
 Smuggling was carried on to such an extent that 
 the company was obliged to erect a fort at Fred- 
 eriksted to put a stop to the illegal exportation 
 of produce. 
 
 The unrest of the planters was increased by the 
 severe hurricanes of 1738 and 1742 which caused 
 an enormous loss of property. In 1748 — the year 
 188 
 
Photograph by William H . Rau 
 
 A NATIVE FAJVIILY, ST. CROIX 
 
Photograph by E, M Newman 
 
 DANISH SUGAR MILL, ST. CROIX 
 
 Photograph by E. M. Newman 
 
 A SCHOOL IN ST. CROIX 
 
CHECKERED HISTORY OF ST. CROIX 
 
 when separate governors were appointed for St. 
 Thomas and St. Croix, St. John being included 
 with St. Thomas — ^John Schopen was sent by the 
 planters to Copenhagen to inform the king of the 
 hardships which were laid upon them by the strict 
 rule of the Company. 
 
 Finally, in 1754, King Frederick V became 
 convinced that the prosperity of St. Croix was 
 likely to be entirely ruined by the methods em- 
 ployed by the Danish West India Company, and 
 he resolved to take over the colony and put an 
 end to the existence of the Company by purchasing 
 its holdings. These were surrendered for 2,239,446 
 rix-doUars. At this time there were 7,566 slaves 
 on the island. 
 
 From then until 1917 St. Croix was under 
 direct rule of the Danish king, except during the 
 two short periods when the British occupied the 
 Danish West Indies. It will be seen, therefore, 
 that the earlier history of St. Croix was turbulent 
 and kaleidoscopic and that its prosperity cannot 
 be said to have begun until 1754. Since then the 
 wise regulations put in force by the successive 
 Danish kings were responsible for making St. Croix 
 take rank as one of the richest islands in the Antilles. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 THE STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX 
 
 SLAVE INSURRECTIONS— FREEING THE SLAVES— THE FIGHT 
 FOR UNCONDITIONAL FREEDOM— TEACHING THE NEGROES 
 TO WORK— QUIETING THE RIOTERS OF 1878— DEALING 
 WITH DISGRUNTLED LABORERS— IMPROVING INDUSTRIAL 
 CONDITIONS— PROSPERITY AND INCREASED WAGES— GIV- 
 ING THE NATIVES THEIR DUE— PHYSICAL FEATURES OF 
 THE ISLAND— REMARKABLE FERTILITY OF THE SOIL 
 
 ik LTHOUGH the planters on St. Jolin suf- 
 /-jk fered in 1773 from the consequences of 
 ^ jL.the stern measures in force against the 
 offenses of negro slaves, the settlers of St. Croix 
 do not seem to have profited by this lesson. 
 In 1746 an incipient revolt broke out on the latter 
 island, but this was quickly put down, mainly 
 through the efforts of a free negro who was instru- 
 mental in subduing the rebels. In 1759, however, 
 a more serious affair took place when a larger num- 
 ber of Africans made plans for wholesale desertion. 
 This revolt was also brought to a speedy conclu- 
 sion when the conspiracy was discovered, and the 
 most agonizing tortures were inflicted upon those 
 who had taken part. Some of the negroes, and 
 190 
 
STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX 
 
 these the more fortunate, were hung; others 
 suffered torture for from one and a half minutes 
 to ninety-one hours. 
 
 It must be remembered, however, that the 
 treatment given to the Africans on the Danish 
 islands was no worse than that meted out to slaves 
 on the islands belonging to other nationalities, and, 
 further, that this cruelty reflected the times. 
 
 As early as 1792 the king of Denmark declared 
 further slave trade unlawful. For a time the edict 
 did not put a stop to the traffic, but it was not 
 long until importation of slaves was ended. 
 
 In 1847 laws were passed for the future eman- 
 cipation of all slaves in the West Indies. These 
 laws were modeled after those passed in 1838 in 
 the British colonies. Their substance was that all 
 children born of slave parents were to be free, 
 and that all who were slaves at the time of the 
 publishing of the law were to become free after 
 a number of years, when they had passed through 
 "an apprenticeship period." In the Danish West 
 Indies the fact that this period was to last twelve 
 years was the cause of great discontent among the 
 slaves, for they naturally wished to gain their 
 freedom immediately. 
 
 191 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 To voice their discontent the St. Croix Africans 
 planned a revolt throughout the island. On July 
 2, 1848, at an understood signal, the laborers on 
 the estates rose in arms and most of the terrified 
 inhabitants of the towns took refuge on vessels 
 in the harbors. A body of some three thousand 
 slaves marched to Christiansted and demanded 
 their unconditional freedom. Upon being told by 
 the commander of the fort that the governor of 
 the island was absent, and that he had no authority 
 to grant their demands, the rebels sacked and 
 destroyed a number of government oflSces, but left 
 private residences untouched. The governor finally 
 arrived, and, after a short delay, proclaimed to the 
 assembled negroes from the battlements of the 
 fort that the unconditional freedom they sought 
 would be given them. A general dispersal fol- 
 lowed and the Africans retired to the estates of 
 their former owners. 
 
 At a late hour the following night the rebels, 
 drunk with their new-found freedom, made an 
 attempt to enter the town. They became dis- 
 orderly, and it was found necessary to discharge 
 into their midst a cannon loaded with grapeshot. 
 The shot caused the death of several of the former 
 192 
 
STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX 
 
 slaves. The negroes were so angry that they 
 scattered over the entire island and began a 
 systematic destruction of the estate houses and 
 factories and a wholesale plunder of their contents. 
 No murders were committed, thanks to the fact 
 that the planters had sought refuge, with their 
 families, in the protected towns of Christiansted 
 and Frederiksted; if the whites had been in the 
 country-side, it is more than likely that a general 
 massacre would have followed. 
 
 The authorities were now forced to send to 
 St. Thomas for aid. This was promptly dispatched 
 and Frederiksted was soon defended by three 
 hundred men, while a thousand soldiers and mihtia 
 were stationed at Christiansted. Upon seeing 
 that the total destruction of all the estates was 
 imminent, the leaders deeided to march on the 
 rebels and end the insurrection. Because the 
 negroes were scattered over the entire island, it 
 was feared that it would be a difficult matter to 
 carry out the program. But the junction with 
 the Danish forces of a body of five hundred Span- 
 ish troops, sent over from Porto Rico, simplified 
 the problem. Later a junction was effected be- 
 tween the troops from Frederiksted and those 
 13 193 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 from Christiansted. The leader of the rebels was 
 captured and a number of negroes were shot. 
 
 For a long period the liberty of the Africans 
 proved to be an unsettling factor in the economic 
 Hfe on the Jsland. It was necessary to pass laws 
 to force the former slaves to work, for apparently 
 they were under the impression that work was no 
 longer necessary and that their former owners 
 were now obliged to provide them with all the 
 necessities of life. When the governor announced 
 the freedom of the slaves one of the stipulations 
 of the proclamation was that all old and infirm 
 negroes were to be provided for by their late owners. 
 This stipulation did not apply to those of the 
 younger generation who were able to work, though 
 it was not an easy matter to persuade them of 
 the fact. In time, however, all these diflficulties 
 were overcome. The little plots of ground, 
 which had been allotted to the freed negroes on 
 the estates of their owners, were taken away 
 from them when they refused to till them, so that 
 the Africans came to realize that unless they 
 worked starvation stared them in the face. 
 
 But the unfortunate island of St. Croix was 
 not yet to enjoy a peaceful existence. In 1852 
 
 194 
 
STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX 
 
 another riot broke out, this time in Christiansted 
 itself. The beginning of the trouble was that the 
 negroes, for some reason, were forbidden to hold 
 their customary dances at Christmas time. When 
 this order was disregarded, an over zealous officer 
 of militia saw fit to order his men to fire a volley 
 into the midst of the rebels, a number of whom 
 were killed. The governor did not find it easy to 
 convince the laborers that the act was unauthor- 
 ized. The officer was severely punished and the 
 militia corps was disbanded. 
 
 From 1852 to 1878 there were no differences 
 of moment between the planters and their former 
 slaves. During this period of quiet a labor act, 
 which provided for the proper treatment of the 
 workmen, was responsible for increased prosperity 
 both for the estate owners and for the laborers. 
 But in 1878 a rumor was circulated in the agri- 
 cultural districts of St. Croix that the act was to 
 be repealed and that other laws to the disadvantage 
 of the laborers were to be put into effect. In 
 consequence of this rumor, there was another 
 revolt The result was the almost total destruc- 
 tion of one-third of the town of Frederiksted. 
 Stores and houses were looted and then set on fire. 
 
 195 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 After a night of rioting an ineffectual attempt 
 was made by the laborers to capture the fort. 
 Next the rioters sought the agricultural districts, 
 where they began a systematic destruction of the 
 estates west of Christiansted. 
 
 Five days later the riot was suppressed by 
 troops from St. Thomas. Assistance was offered 
 by the commanding officers of war vessels of the 
 United States, Great Britain and France, and aid 
 was also tendered by the governor of the (then) 
 Spanish island of Porto Rico, who said that he 
 was ready to send three hundred men with two 
 mountain guns; but this help was not needed. 
 
 A few Danish soldiers were caught by the rioters 
 and were brutally murdered. Twelve of the 
 laborers were subsequently court-martialed, and 
 were sentenced to be shot. Many others were jailed. 
 Soon quiet was once more restored to the island. 
 Since 1878, no further riots of this character 
 have taken place on St. Croix, yet conditions have 
 always been troublesome and even to-day there is 
 great unrest among the laborers of St. Crok. 
 Until the last day of its rule over the island the 
 Danish government found it necessary to maintain 
 a considerable body of men in the forts of Christian- 
 196 
 
STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX 
 
 sted and Frederiksted, and to patrol the island with 
 an efficient corps of gendarmerie. Strikes have 
 taken place on different occasions, and the St. 
 Croix laborer has always been ready with veiled 
 threats to burn the properties of the sugar planters. 
 What these threats meant can only be realized 
 by those who know that the owner of a cane field 
 is in a constant state of anxiety because of its 
 inflammability. A cigar inadvertently dropped 
 along the edge of the field may result in the de- 
 struction of thousands of dollars* worth of sugar 
 cane before the fire can be checked, especially on 
 a windy day. 
 
 During recent years the editor of one of the 
 local papers formed a labor union on St. Croix. 
 This editor is seeking to better the conditions of 
 the negro and hopes soon to start an industrial 
 school on the island modeled after Booker T. 
 Washington's Tuskegee Normal and Industrial 
 Institution. There is a great opportunity for such 
 work as is planned by him, for it must be admitted 
 that, in spite of the contentions of the planters 
 to the contrary, the lot of the laborer on St. Croix 
 is not an enviable one and there are many condi- 
 tions which need a remedy. 
 
 197 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Until January, 1916, the prevailing wage was 
 twenty cents per day, but the last strike resulted 
 in the increase to thirty-five cents per day for nine 
 hours' work. The percentage of increase may 
 seem large, but it should be remembered that 
 many benefits which before the estates were 
 obliged to furnish, such as a plot of ground, the 
 privilege of keeping a horse or a cow, and medical 
 attention, are now withheld. 
 
 When sugar was low in price, as it was during 
 the years immediately preceding 1914, the St. 
 Croix planters found it impossible to pay adequate 
 wages to their men. These men would work but 
 five days a week, and, in the height of the sugar 
 crop, when everything depended upon constant 
 work, they had to be coaxed to work even this 
 length of time. Since the increased price of sugar 
 has enabled the planters to continue the manufac- 
 ture of this product with a better prospect of 
 making a profit on their investment, the laborers 
 will probably be paid more for their work — ^that 
 is, if they give better services for the money they 
 are supposed to earn. 
 
 It has become habitual with many of the 
 planters to give their laborers a sinister reputation, 
 198 
 
STORY OF LABOR ON ST. CROIX 
 
 but it should be stated that the latter are some- 
 times blamed for vices which were brought here 
 when the planters, desperate for laborers to save 
 their sugar crops, imported a lawless element of 
 negroes from some of the British islands to the 
 south. The result was the acquisition of all the 
 riff-raff who were too worthless to make a living 
 on their native shores. Naturally they have 
 helped to give the St. Croix native-born laborer 
 a bad name. Yet it must be admitted that the 
 native of St. Croix, unhke the St. Thomian and 
 the laborer on St. John, is not a good worker and 
 that he is apt to desire pay for work which he has 
 but half performed. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE CHARACTER AND THE POSSIBILITIES 
 
 OF ST. CROIX 
 
 THE HURRICANE OF 1772— ALEXANDER HAMH^TON'S FAMOUS 
 DESCRIPTION— SUGAR CULTIVATION AND SEA-ISLAND COT- 
 TON POSSIBILITIES— SUGGESTIONS FOR INCREASED PRO- 
 DUCTION—CATTLE RAISING AND FINE HORSES. 
 
 ST. CROIX lies in latitude 17 degrees, 45 
 minutes N., and longitude 64 degrees, 45 
 minutes W. The island is about forty 
 miles due south from St. John. The meridian of 
 64 degrees, 45 minutes W., cuts both St. John and 
 St. Croix almost exactly through the center. 
 Small sailing vessels trading between the three 
 islands are always apprehensive of the passage 
 between the two northern islands and St. Croix, 
 as unaccountably high seas will occasionally rise 
 without warning and these prove a decided menace 
 to craft of small tonnage. Only one island hes off 
 St. Croix, Buck Island, a rocky cay with an eleva- 
 tion of about four hundred feet. 
 
 The island is twenty-two miles long and about 
 six miles wide in the center. It supports a popu- 
 200 
 
CHARACTER OF ST. CROIX 
 
 lation of about fifteen thousand inhabitants, of 
 whom fully ninety-five per cent, are colored. Its 
 area is 84.25 square miles, so that it is more than 
 four times the size of St. John and about three 
 times the size of St. Thomas. 
 
 Only the northern part of St. Croix is moun- 
 tainous. Mt. Eagle, near the northwestern point 
 of the island, having a height of 1164 feet, is the 
 highest elevation. The greater part of the island 
 south of the mountain range is rolling and the 
 extreme southern part is quite flat. On the flat 
 portion there are a number of lagoons. Several 
 rivulets find their way from the mountain slopes 
 to the south and west, while but one water-course 
 empties itself into the sea on the north coast. In 
 the rainy season these rivulets become angry tor- 
 rents which seem only too anxious to break their 
 bounds and damage the crops upon their banks. 
 In the dry season they are hardly more than a bed 
 of pebbles, with here and there a small pool to 
 indicate that the bed is occasionally covered with 
 water. But, even with these streams, the island 
 cannot be said to be well watered and a large part 
 of the south coast presents at all times a barren 
 appearance, cacti forming the prevailing vegeta- 
 
 201 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 tion. The rainfall averages 31.26 inclies per year, 
 and the rainy months are May, September, and 
 
 October. 
 
 According to Dr. Taylor's work, "Leaflets 
 from the Danish West Indies," the geological 
 formation of St. Croix is almost the same as that 
 of St. Thomas, although less of the blue-bit stone 
 and more of a fine grayish stratified slate is found 
 here. The western part of St. Groix is formed of 
 tertiary limestone. The southern part of the 
 island consists principally of large limestone plains. 
 In spite of the somewhat scanty rainfall the 
 soil of St. Groix, throughout the island, is remark- 
 able for its fertility, with the exception of the 
 area bordering the south coast. The mountain 
 tops, which in pre-Golumbian days were covered 
 with large forests, were burned bare during the 
 French occupation of the island and are now 
 mostly covered with grasses of different varieties 
 which serve as fodder for the herds that graze 
 
 there. 
 
 There are no harbors on St. Groix, and the 
 
 island suffers greatly because of this lack. The 
 
 contour of St. Groix includes practically no bays, 
 
 and there are dangerous reefs along the north and 
 
 202 
 
CHARACTER OF ST. CROIX 
 
 south coasts. There is no east coast, owing to 
 the fact that the south and north coasts meet in 
 a point, and the west coast is exposed to northerly, 
 southerly and westerly storms. Thus no safe 
 anchorage for vessels can be found. 
 
 The climate is good, but is warmer than that 
 of St. John and St. Thomas. The statement has 
 been made that this is due to the fact that St. 
 Croix lies further within the tropics; but it is 
 to be doubted if forty miles could account for the 
 variation. It is more likely that the profile of 
 the island and the fact that it is not directly 
 exposed to the north Atlantic, as are the islands 
 of St. John and St. Thomas, has a great deal to 
 do with this increase in temperature. In former 
 days, because of its climate, St. Croix was a Mecca 
 for American tourists, and it should be a favorite 
 with them to-day. Undoubtedly the climate is 
 even better and more equable than that of the 
 famed Bermudas or Bahamas. 
 
 There are few mosquitoes on the island. The 
 ubiquitous sand-fly occasionally proves to be a 
 pest, but the attacks of this insect do not occur 
 often. There is but one variety of snake, and 
 this is of a non-poisonous variety. The sanitation 
 
 203 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 of the two towns is good, and of later years there 
 have been no epidemics. 
 
 Like the other Virgin Islands, St. Croix has 
 been frequently a sufferer from hurricanes. Even 
 the earlier records speak of these disasters. In 
 1772 no less than four hundred and sixty houses 
 in Christiansted and all the houses in Frederiksted, 
 with the exception of three, were destroyed. The 
 sea rose seventy feet above its usual level, and all 
 shipping was driven ashore. 
 
 This was the hurricane which was so well de- 
 scribed by Alexander Hamilton in a letter to his 
 father. The future aide-de-camp of Washington 
 and Secretary of the Treasury in Washington's 
 administration, was at the time a clerk in the 
 counting house of a merchant named Nicholas 
 Cruger in Christiansted, and, though he was but 
 fifteen years old, he was a marvel of ingenuity 
 and ability. The letter attracted so much atten- 
 tion from admiring friends and relatives that it 
 was decided to give him the chance he longed for 
 to go to the United States to secure a college 
 education. The letter is worth quoting here, for 
 it gives a more vivid word picture of a West Indian 
 hurricane than does the average narrative: 
 204 
 
CHARACTER OF ST. CROIX 
 
 St. Croix, Sept. 6, 1772. 
 Honored Sir, 
 
 I take up my pen, just to give you an imperfect 
 account of one of the most dreadful hurricanes that 
 memory or any records whatever can trace, which 
 happened here on the 31st ultimo at night. 
 
 It began about dusk, at north, and raged very 
 violently till ten o'clock. Then ensued a sudden and 
 unexpected interval which lasted about an hour. 
 Meanwhile the wind was shifting round to the south 
 west point, from whence it returned with redoubled 
 fury and continued till nearly three in the morning. 
 Good God! what horror and destruction— it's impossible 
 for me to describe — or you to form any idea of it. It 
 seemed as if a total dissolution of nature was taking 
 place. The roaring of the sea and wind— fiery meteors 
 flying about in the air— the prodigious glare of almost 
 perpetual lightning— the crash of falling houses— and 
 the ear-piercing shrieks of the distressed were sufficient 
 to strike astonishment into Angels. A great part of 
 the buildings throughout the island are leveled to the 
 ground— almost all the rest very much shattered— 
 several persons killed and numbers utterly ruined- 
 whole families wandering about the streets, unknowing 
 where to find a place of shelter— the sick exposed to 
 the keenness of water and aii-— without a bed to lie 
 upon— or a dry covering to their bodies— and our 
 
 205 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 harbors entirely bare. In a word, misery, in its most 
 hideous shapes, spread over the whole face of the coun- 
 try. A strong smell of gunpowder added somewhat to 
 the terrors of the night; and it was observed that the 
 rain was exceedingly salt. Indeed the water is so 
 brackish and full of sulphur that there is hardly any 
 drinking it. 
 
 In 1867 an earthquake devastated St. Croix 
 and caused enormous damage on St. Thomas. The 
 town of Frederiksted on St. Croix was the prin- 
 cipal sufferer and the U. S. S. Monongahela, a 
 wooden, cruiser with auxiliary steam power, was 
 taken up bodily by a wave which lifted it over the 
 tops of some coconut trees and deposited it a con- 
 siderable distance inland. Later it was necessary 
 to dig a canal in order to float the ship to the ocean. 
 
 The last hurricane, that of October 9 and 10, 
 1916, did not do one-tenth as much damage on 
 St. Croix as it did on St. Thomas, though it 
 destroyed a number of the smaller houses and 
 unroofed some of the larger ones. No shipping 
 was lost with the exception of the schooner Vigilant^ 
 which was sunk in Christiansted harbor, and a 
 few small sloops. 
 
 St. Croix is essentially an agricultural island. 
 206 
 
CHARACTER OF ST. CROIX 
 
 Of the total acreage of 51,913, about thirteen 
 thousand acres are devoted to the cultivation of 
 sugar and about two thousand to the raising of 
 sea-island cotton. Grass, fodder and other kinds 
 of miscellaneous products are produced on about 
 thirty thousand acres. Without irrigation or 
 fertilization the island can raise eight to ten tons 
 of sugar per acre, thus equaling what is produced 
 in Hawaii with irrigation or in Louisiana with 
 fertilization. 
 
 Should the estate owners become convinced of 
 the wisdom of using imported fertilizers on their 
 land and the government arrange for a system of 
 irrigation which could be installed at small cost 
 by damming existing watercourses and digging 
 small canals, there is every reason to believe that 
 St. Croix would soon equal the record of the island 
 of Porto Rico by producing twenty-five to thirty 
 tons of sugar per acre. Incidentally, the irrigation 
 system, if installed, would convert into land capa- 
 ble of raising large crops of this product great 
 areas which are now unsuitable for cane culture. 
 Another improved method to which little attention 
 has been paid, and which would prove of incal- 
 culable benefit to the soil, would be a system of 
 
 207 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 crop rotation. This would restore the fertility of 
 land worn out by too long use in raising but one 
 
 kind of produce. 
 
 There are three large sugar mills in operation. 
 These are the St. Croix Sugar Factory near Chris- 
 tiansted, the West End Mill, half way between 
 Christiansted and Frederiksted, and the La Grange 
 Mill, two miles from Frederiksted. These three 
 mills produce seven-eighths of all the sugar made 
 on the island, eight smaller estates manufacturing 
 the remainder. It has been estimated that, with 
 proper machinery and increased cultivation, St. 
 Croix would be capable of producing 100,000 tons 
 of sugar per year. Yet in 1916 the sugar crop 
 amounted only to about 16,000 short tons. In 
 1903, a record year, the total crop came to but 
 19,275 short tons. 
 
 Formerly St. Croix was famed throughout the 
 West Indies for the rum produced in the distil- 
 leries which were run in connection with the sugar 
 estates, and "Santa Cruz" rum commanded a 
 higher price than any other on the market. But 
 of late it has been found unprofitable to continue 
 distilling, and attention is paid solely to the manu- 
 facture of sugar. 
 208 
 
CHARACTER OF ST. CROIX 
 
 Before the United States took over the islands, 
 the exporters were obliged to pay to the Danish 
 government five per cent, export duty on their 
 sugar. In addition to this they had to pay a 
 considerable import duty when sugar was sent to 
 ports of the United States. Now that the islands 
 have come under the American flag, a flat rate of 
 eight dollars per ton export duty is to be imposed 
 on all sugar sent from the island. Of course when 
 the sugar is shipped to New York or any other 
 United States port, no import duty has to be paid. 
 Thus the planters who export their sugar to the 
 United States pay much less duty than they did 
 before. 
 
 In addition to enormous possibilities of St. 
 Croix for the increased cultivation of sugar-cane, 
 the island also is capable of greatly increased 
 cotton production. To-day the 2,000 acres devoted 
 to this valuable plant produce the finest cotton in 
 the market, the long staple sea-island cotton, 
 whose present value is from forty to fifty cents 
 per pound. Cotton cultivation has been tempor- 
 arily abandoned owing to the difficulty of shipping 
 the product and the appearance of insect pests, 
 but it is thought that if the fields are permitted to 
 14 209 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 rest idle for a few years this last diiOaculty will be 
 conquered. 
 
 Attempts have recently been made to grow 
 sisal (hennequin) on the drier parts of St. Croix. 
 Very likely this venture will prove successful, as 
 it has been found in other parts of the West Indies, 
 such as the Caicos Islands and the Bahamas, that 
 this fibrous plant appears to thrive best in the 
 less fertile districts and in sections where rainfall 
 is scant. Efforts to raise bananas and other fruits 
 are also being accompanied by a fair measure of 
 success. 
 
 Many cattle are raised on the island. Most of 
 these are used for drawing the wagons which 
 transport the sugar-cane from the fields to the 
 mill. Thirty thousand acres are devoted to the 
 raising of fodder and for the pasturage of herds. 
 
 The island is also especially noted for the good 
 quality of the horses raised and a number of these 
 are exported to neighboring islands. Thanks to 
 the importation of stallions from the United States, 
 the breed is constantly improving. The influx of 
 a large number of automobiles has not succeeded 
 in making the St. Croix planter lose his pride in 
 his saddle or driving horses. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 ON "THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES'' 
 
 FREDERIKSTED AND CHRISTIANSTED-THE BUSTLE OF 
 STEAMER DAY— ISLAND COMMUNICATION, STEAMERS AND 
 SAILING VESSELS— THE ROMANTIC STORY OF THE VIGILANT 
 —ALEXANDER HAMILTON. THE CHRISTIANSTED CLERK- 
 ROADS AND MOTOR CARS-THE RUINS ON THE SUGAR 
 PLANTATIONS-WHY DEER ARE PLENTY— COLUMBUS- 
 TREE-GROWING OYSTERS-WHAT THE EXCAVATOR LEARNS 
 FROM KITCHEN-MIDDENS 
 
 THERE are two ports of entry on St. Croix, 
 Frederiksted and Christians ted. Of these 
 two towns the former represents the com- 
 mercial interests of the island and the latter the 
 governmental interests. Naturally, then, there is 
 more bustle around Frederiksted than one ever 
 sees around Christiansted, especially on "steamer 
 day," when the Quebec Line steamer calls on its 
 way to islands farther south or on its return 
 voyage to New York. 
 
 Frederiksted, or West End as it is more popu- 
 larly called, has a population of about three thou- 
 sand. It cannot, therefore, be said to be a large 
 town. Yet, as it is the depot of eighty per cent, of 
 all the island's imports and exports, it does a 
 considerable amount of business and the large 
 
 211 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 warehouses attest to the prosperity of the mer- 
 chants. All cargoes and passengers have to be 
 landed here in lighters and in rowboats, for there 
 is no harbor, and the steamer must remain about 
 a half mile off shore. 
 
 The roadstead is exposed to storms from three 
 directions, the west coast giving protection from 
 easterly winds only. In consequence, steamer 
 captains who anchor here are always prepared to 
 depart at a moment's notice. They are especially 
 cautious in the hurricane months. 
 
 There are few old buildings in the town itself, 
 the majority of the larger houses having been 
 destroyed in the laborers' riot of 1878. There is, 
 however, a fort in which, until March 31, 1917, 
 a company of Danish gendarmes was quartered. 
 
 It is only on steamer days that one reahzes 
 the importance of this Uttle town. The one pier 
 of which the water front boasts is then covered 
 with a swarming mass of laborers, boatmen and 
 lookers-on, anxious for a glimpse at the arriving 
 tourists with the latest styles from the North. 
 The pier on the water-front suddenly seems to 
 become one enormous warehouse with bales, bags, 
 barrels, crates and trunks scattered everywhere. 
 212 
 
E*. 
 
"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES" 
 
 But whereas, in St. Thomas, a visitor is greeted 
 by a grinning ^boatman and a porter who makes 
 up in willingness what he lacks in efficiency, the 
 atmosphere in St. Croix, generally speaking, is 
 charged with surliness. No pleasant greetings are 
 given; indeed, the negroes one meets seem to scowl 
 at the stranger and resent his presence. However, 
 their looks do them an injustice, for it will be 
 generally found that the native-born inhabitant 
 of St. Croix is at heart good natured, and the 
 discourtesy one meets with is due more to the 
 resentment of the people because of their condition 
 than to any evil intentions toward the visitor. 
 
 At the present time but this one steamship 
 line, the Quebec Steamship Company, calls at 
 Frederiksted. Vessels of this company also call 
 at Christiansted in the sugar season, but only 
 when the weather is very favorable, so great are 
 the dangers incident to touching at the latter port. 
 There is daily communication between Frederik- 
 sted and Christiansted by an automobile service 
 which transports the mail and carries passengers 
 for six dollars the round trip. Various small 
 sloops lighter the goods landed at Frederiksted to 
 Christiansted and call at different places along the 
 
 213 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 coast. These sloops also make occasional visits 
 to St. Thomas. The mail between St. Croix and 
 St. Thomas is always brought to Christiansted by 
 a small sloop which has a contract for this service, 
 except when it is carried on the steamers of the 
 Quebec Line. 
 
 An electric Hght plant is being installed in 
 Frederiksted and the little town will soon be illumi- 
 nated by this means and the kerosene lanterns 
 which are now used will be abolished. There is 
 an ice-plant, but, as it has not been found profit- 
 able to run this, all ice is brought from the Chris- 
 tiansted factory by the automobile which carries 
 
 the mail. 
 
 Christiansted, or Bassin as it is more generally 
 known, is the oldest settlement on the island, and 
 has a population of about forty-five hundred. The 
 town is built around a curving water-front with an 
 amphitheatre of hills in the background. It has a 
 picturesque appearance, and this is heightened by 
 the old forts and churches which still remain. 
 
 Successive hurricanes, wars, rebellions and 
 
 riots of the negroes are responsible for the fact 
 
 that only a few of the old residences are standing 
 
 to-day. During the latter days of the Danish rule, 
 
 214 
 
"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES" 
 
 the governor spent six months of each year on St. 
 Croix and a handsome gubernatorial residence is 
 found here, which is said to be larger than any 
 similar house in the Lesser Antilles. 
 
 There are two forts in Christiansted, the Sophia 
 Frederika Fort, which is built upon a small island, 
 Protestant Cay, in the harbor, and the Luisa 
 Augusta Fort, located on the mainland. It was 
 to this latter stronghold that an intending traveler 
 who desired a passport was obliged to go when 
 Denmark ruled the island. For his passport he 
 had to pay thirty-two cents if he wished to make 
 a voyage to St. Thomas, while one dollar was 
 required if he planned to go beyond the jurisdic- 
 tion of the Danish government. Although the 
 amount demanded was so small, the tax on pass- 
 ports brought a considerable sum of money to 
 the treasury, and incidentally prevented emigra- 
 tion of absconders or negroes who were in debt to 
 the estate owners. 
 
 Steamers seldom call here. When captains do 
 decide to risk the dangers of the roadstead, it is 
 always in fear and trepidation. A circle of reefs 
 makes the entrance difficult. Even when a fair- 
 sized steamer has safely navigated the tortuous 
 
 215 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 channel of the reef, it is necessary to anchor by 
 bow and stern, since there is not enough room 
 between the rocks and the reefs to allow a vessel 
 to swing with the tide or wind. Experts say that 
 it would be quite possible to blast away some of 
 the obstructions which make this anchorage unsafe 
 and to widen and straighten the entrance through 
 the outer reef. If this should be done, Christian- 
 sted would undoubtedly become commercially the 
 more important port and the trade conditions of 
 St. Croix would be bettered to an astonishing extent. 
 There is regular communication by sailing ves- 
 sels between Christiansted and Charlotte-Amalia. 
 Perhaps one of the most interesting of these vessels 
 is the old schooner VigilanU which makes Chris- 
 tiansted her home port. This ship, which is always 
 pointed out to visitors, has had a turbulent his- 
 tory. When built in Baltimore, in 1800, she was 
 named the "None-such," and sailed under the 
 American flag. She was first employed for the 
 carrying of slaves. Local history still tells of the 
 days when the ship carried human cargoes and of 
 the miseries suffered by the unhappy Africans 
 when some two hundred of them were confined 
 at one time in the small holds. When slave trad- 
 216 
 
"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES" 
 
 ing became illegal, the schooner was sold to a St. 
 Croix merohant. For some time it was a privateers- 
 man, with letters of marque from the Danish 
 government. 
 
 In 1825 the vessel was used as a man-of-war. 
 A Spanish privateer had caused considerable loss 
 to shipping by cruising in the waters around the 
 Virgin Island group and capturing many merchant 
 vessels. The Danish government was unable to 
 stop this practice with the man-of-war that was 
 stationed here; the deeper draught of this vessel 
 made it impossible to pursue the small privateer 
 into the shallow channels in which it took refuge. 
 The Vigilanty as the historic None-such had by 
 this time been named, was chartered by the Dan- 
 ish government and a crew of thirty soldiers was 
 hidden on board. She cruised about in the waters 
 surrounding the islands until the privateersman 
 perceived her. Thinking he had found an easy 
 prize, the captain of the enemy vessel made ready 
 to capture the schooner. But as soon as he 
 grappled with her the thirty soldiers who had been 
 hidden in the Vigilant'' s hold suddenly appeared 
 and turned the tables, killing the Spanish captain, 
 his officers, and a number of the crew. 
 
 217 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Next the Vigilant was used as a mail schooner 
 between the islands. She changed owners many 
 times. Originally she was a topsail-schooner, but 
 was changed to a fore-and-aft schooner. In the 
 hurricane of 1876 she struck the reef of Chris- 
 tiansted harbor and sank, but was raised again 
 and was later used as a government packet. Fi- 
 nally, in the destructive hurricane of October 9, 
 1916, the Vigilant was again sunk inside the 
 Christiansted reef. She was once more raised. 
 To-day she serves in the humble capacity of a 
 cargo carrier in the inter-island trade. 
 
 A visitor to the island after hearing this long 
 story, naturally wonders how the vessel could 
 have existed for more than a hundred and seven- 
 teen years in West Indian waters, where the teredo 
 worm works quick destruction to all woods exposed 
 to the sea. The owner of the Vigilant, if closely 
 questioned, will admit that parts of the vessel 
 have occasionally been renewed. If he is hard 
 pressed he will frankly confess that the only 
 original part of the vessel remaining is a small 
 eight-foot piece of oak keel! 
 
 Christiansted prides itself upon having been the 
 home of Alexander Hamilton and the house where 
 218 
 
LUTHERAN CHURCH AND ADJOINING HOUSES, CHRISTIANSTED, ST. CROIX 
 
 SCHOONER "vigilant AT WHARr, ( lUilSTIANSTED, ST. CROIX 
 
"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES" 
 
 he resided is still pointed out to visitors. When 
 but twelve years of age he began to work as book- 
 keeper and general assistant to Nicholas Cruger, 
 who soon found that he had in him a helper on 
 whom he could depend. Yet the clerk was not 
 satisfied, as appears from a letter which he sent 
 to a friend who went to America to study. In this 
 letter he said: 
 
 I contemn the grovelling condition of a clerk, or 
 the like, to which my fortunes condemn me, and would 
 willingly risk my life, though not my character, to 
 exalt my station. I am confident, Ned, that my youth 
 excludes me from any hope of immediate preferment, 
 nor do I desire it; but I mean to prepare the way for 
 futurity. ... I shall conclude by saying I wish there 
 was a war. 
 
 Less than a year after this letter was written 
 Mr. Cruger went to New York, leaving his business 
 in the hands of the young clerk. He had been 
 absent only a few weeks when the boy wrote to 
 the captain of the sloop Thunderbolt a letter which 
 showed that Mr. Cruger's confidence in his clerk 
 was well merited: 
 
 Herewith I give you all your despatches, and desire 
 you will proceed immediately to Curacoa. . . . You 
 
 219 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 know it is intended you shall go from thence to the 
 main for a load of mules, and I beg if you do, you'U 
 be very choice in the quality of your mules, and bring 
 as many as your vessel can conveniently contain — by 
 all means take in a large supply of provender. Re- 
 member, you are to make three trips this season, and 
 unless you are very diligent you will be too late, as 
 our crops will be early in. ... I place an entire reli- 
 ance upon the prudence of your conduct. 
 
 The persistent seeker after old furniture on 
 St. Croix is sure to be rewarded with valuable finds. 
 Here, as on St. John, the cabinet maker of former 
 days seems to have taken a delight in his craft 
 and turned out pieces which could vie with those 
 from any part of the world. The objects are 
 generally made of Santo Domingan mahogany and 
 are exquisitely carved. 
 
 Many a piece of rare crystal also may be dis- 
 covered in the dilapidated negro cabins. A 
 specialty of the island is the old liquor case, a 
 polished mahogany box with compartments for a 
 number of square cut glass bottles which speak 
 eloquently of the rare old wines imbibed by the 
 forefathers of the present planters » 
 
 It would be diflficult to say whether St. Croix 
 220 
 
"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES" 
 
 would appear more attractive to a visitor than 
 St. Thomas or St. John. While St. Croix lacks the 
 magnificent grandeur of the seascapes and the 
 wild beauty of the mountains possessed by St. 
 Thomas and St. John, it presents a far more 
 orderly appearance, with its straight roads and 
 its vast areas of cultivated land. The island is 
 laid out with parallel roads, intersected by other 
 roads running at right angles, and the more level 
 portions present the appearance of a checker 
 board. Excellent macadamized roads provide 
 good facilities for motoring and are fringed with 
 coconut trees. In all, there are about one hun- 
 dred miles of good roads on the island. There are 
 also a few short lines of narrow gauge railroads, 
 which are used to collect sugar cane and to carry 
 this to the mill. Of late years this transportation 
 is being done on one estate by motor truck, and 
 it is likely that this sort of vehicle, so much more 
 efficient than the ox-carts now in use, will speedily 
 come into popular favor. Motor cars can be 
 hired at the rate of twenty cents per mile, and 
 there are a large number of these conveyances. 
 But a visitor who would see the island well 
 
 should hire a good horse and trap, for these will 
 
 221 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 give him a better opportunity of taking in the 
 varied scenes. 
 
 Noticeable in the landscape are the solid stone 
 watch-houses with roofs made of the same material, 
 resembling sarcophagi. In these the guardians of 
 the fields were stationed day and night to prevent 
 the setting of fires to the cane fields, and to give 
 warning to the estate owners when fire broke out. 
 At the sound of the alarm all laborers on the estate 
 would come together to extinguish the fire before 
 the entire crop should be destroyed. Only the 
 proprietor of a sugar-estate can tell most effectively 
 of the dangers of fire in a field of sugar-cane. Where 
 a visitor to a plantation sees only a peacefully waving 
 field of green and brown stalks, the owner will 
 have mental visions of an all-devouring fire, going 
 through his agricultural wealth with the speed of 
 an express-train, jumping from one field to another, 
 transforming live plants into charred stumps with 
 but a mocking semblance to their former luscious 
 stalks. 
 
 Sugar-cane, when ripe, is one of the most 
 
 inflammable things in the world. Under the stalks 
 
 there is always an accumulation of trash and dried 
 
 wisps of the blades of the cane, which act like 
 
 222 
 
« 
 
 THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES" 
 
 tinder when a spark falls on it. For this reason, 
 throughout the West Indies, all locomotives, when 
 passing through areas where cane is cultivated, 
 are provided with spark-arresters upon their 
 funnels. If a fire, once started, is not checked 
 immediately, there is little hope of saving the 
 field in which it originated, and there is every 
 possibility that it will spread throughout every 
 cultivated area of the estate and even through 
 those of neighboring properties. Sometimes a 
 disgruntled laborer is responsible for such a fire, 
 and woe betide him if he is caught in the act of 
 setting fire to a field. Dire indeed are the penalties 
 for this crime. 
 
 Strange to say, the laborers of St. Croix are 
 well pleased when a sugar-cane fire takes place. 
 The reason for this is two-fold. In the first place, 
 cane that has been damaged by fire still retains a 
 certain amount of juice, and if it is cut and taken 
 to the mills for grinding within three days, a 
 reasonable amount of juice can still be extracted. 
 After three days, the juice begins to ferment in 
 the stalk and is valueless. The laborers, knowing 
 that the cane must be cut immediately, generally 
 take the opportunity of demanding extra pay, and 
 
 223 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 the owners of the field are obliged to grant the 
 increase or else lose the entire crop. The second 
 reason for the laborers' satisfaction in case of fire 
 is that a burned stalk of sugar-cane is far easier to 
 cut than a green, live stalk. 
 
 The watch-houses provided for the use of 
 those who guarded against fire in the cane fields 
 were supplied with loop-holes for muskets, so many 
 of them proved a good defense against revolting 
 Africans in the days of rebellions and riots. Brick 
 chimneys of former sugar estates and the remains 
 of old wind-mills also remind the visitor of the 
 fact that sugar at one time was king of the island. 
 
 Very few "great houses'* remain on St. Croix, 
 although ruins of these are plentiful. Biilowminde 
 and Havensicht still exist to tell of the pomp and 
 circumstance in which the former planters lived. 
 These houses are beautifully located about six 
 hundred feet above sea level. Other large plan- 
 tations are Concordia and the Princess Estate. 
 An excursion to any one of these will well repay 
 the tourist who seeks for information as to the 
 manners and customs on the island in the eigh- 
 teenth century. 
 
 There is good hunting on St. Croix for fallow- 
 224 
 
(( 
 
 THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES" 
 
 deer, which are found here in large numbers. In 
 fact, there are so many of these animals that they 
 do a great deal of damage to the produce patches 
 of the humbler class of agriculturists. For this 
 reason deer are not protected, but may be hunted 
 at all seasons. Venison is sold almost every day 
 in the local markets. The animals have multiplied 
 rapidly since they were first introduced. They are 
 found in larger numbers on the north coast than 
 elsewhere. The unprepared visitor who happens 
 to be walking through a field is sometimes startled 
 by the sudden appearance of a deer which, upon 
 seeing the intruder, will beat a hurried retreat. 
 There is also good pigeon and duck hunting, while 
 splendid fishing and bathing may be enjoyed by 
 the lovers of these sports. 
 
 On the north coast of St. Croix extensive Indian 
 remains are found on village sites which were at 
 one time occupied by the savage aborigines. There 
 are so many mounds near the mouth of the Salt 
 River that it seems certain the pre-Columbian 
 inhabitants had here a village of considerable size. 
 These mounds are located at the very edge of the 
 sea, due south from the reef which is some half 
 mile distant from the shore line. They consist for 
 15 225 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 the most part of the large conch and oyster shells 
 which are so typical of these islands. ^ 
 
 When Columbus reported to his Spanish 
 masters upon the wonders of the West Indies, he 
 laid special stress upon the fact that he had seen 
 oysters growing on trees. The explanation of 
 this seemingly incredible phenomenon is simple, 
 as any visitor to the West Indies knows. The 
 shores of brackish lagoons in these latitudes are 
 always fringed with mangrove trees, whose over- 
 hanging branches take root in the water until the 
 bush finally resembles the leaf-covered ribs of an 
 umbrella. Upon these branches the young oysters 
 (Ostrea Virginica) find a hold. At length the parts 
 of the tree that are submerged at high tide are 
 completely covered with the moUusks. The 
 Indians who inhabited the Salt River district 
 seem to have been especially fond of this sort of 
 food. 
 
 The work of excavating in the St. Croix deposits 
 was far easier than in the similar deposits on 
 Magens Bay on St. Thomas. Practically no roots 
 of destructive trees were found, as the vegetation 
 around the mouth of the Salt River was scant, 
 owing to the intense heat and the saline moisture 
 226 
 
REEF AT MOUTH OF SALT RIVER, ST. CROIX 
 
 ROOTS OF MANGROVE TREES, WITH OYSTERS, SALT KIVER, ST. CHOIX 
 
^ "^■■? 
 
 
 
 i^i^- 
 
 
 '!S^^nt->A 
 
 J^J- Lj'- 
 
 ABORIGIXAL POTTERY VESSEL AS FOUND IN 
 THE EARTH, SALT RIVER, ST. CROIX 
 
 TYPICAL OLD WATCH HOUSE ON SUGAR ESTATE, ST. CROIX 
 
"THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES" 
 
 of the atmosphere. In fact one wonders why 
 
 this region should have been chosen for a residence 
 
 by the aborigines, since it is one of the portions of 
 
 the island where the most intense heat is found. 
 
 The expedition sent out by the Museum of the 
 
 American Indian, Heye Foundation, of New York 
 
 City, was especially fortunate in excavating in 
 
 these deposits a number of entire vessels which 
 
 were found buried in the debris of the mounds. 
 
 It was necessary to use the utmost care in removing 
 
 a vessel from the trench, so that the uncovering 
 
 of one of these was generally undertaken only by 
 
 the leader of the expedition. It was impossible 
 
 to tell beforehand if the roots of the smaller bushes 
 
 here had developed cracks in the vessels during the 
 
 centuries that the fragile specimens had awaited 
 
 the coming of the archeologist. Frequently a bowl 
 
 would fall into numerous pieces on being lifted 
 
 from its matrix. But the accident was by no 
 
 means irretrievable; the pieces would be packed 
 
 together carefully and upon their arrival at the 
 
 Museum in New York they would be cleaned and 
 
 put together in such a manner that the breaks 
 
 became practically invisible. 
 
 Not only are pieces of entire vessels saved, 
 
 227 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 but the hundreds of postsherds found in the 
 deposits are "matched" as far as this is possible 
 and are afterwards mended. At times surprising 
 results are obtained. Occasionally the excavator 
 will find a fragment in one place and a piece of 
 the same bowl some fifteen feet away. The expla- 
 nation is that when an Indian woman broke one 
 of her cooking pots she would throw the pieces in 
 the refuse heap back of her hut. Naturally, the 
 pieces would fall in different places. After years 
 of practice, the archeologist develops a good 
 memory for the fragments he excavates. He men- 
 tally classifies these by their color and the thick- 
 ness of the ware, and often he is able to reconstruct 
 a bowl out of perhaps twenty different sherds. 
 This "matching" should be done first in the field, 
 and once again after the museum is reached. The 
 Virgin Island sherds were washed as they came 
 out of the kitchen-middens and then were placed 
 in the sun to dry. Not only are postsherds found 
 in the deposits, but broken stone implements, 
 stone beads, shell and bone pendants, bone awls, 
 et cetera, are among the hundreds of objects that 
 enable the archeologist to gather his data on the 
 aboriginal inhabitants. 
 
 228 
 
 7 
 
a 
 
 THE GARDEN OF THE ANTILLES 
 
 »> 
 
 Perhaps the most important item of all is the 
 examination and identification of the shells and 
 animal bones that are found. All animal bones 
 are preserved and are sent on to various zoological 
 experts for identification. The shells also are saved 
 and ultimately are identified by conchologists. 
 
 After all this has been done, it is possible to 
 tell quite accurately just what constituted the 
 diet of those who lived in the ancient villages. 
 It was found in St. Croix that the principal shell 
 food of the Indians consisted of the oyster (Ostrea 
 Virginica) and the conch (Strombus gigas). In all, 
 more than twenty-five varieties of shells were 
 found. Of mammals, there were the bones of a 
 small, extinct animal, the isolohodon portoricensis 
 and a species of trichechus (sea cow) were found. 
 Of birds, the Indians appear to have consumed the 
 puffin, the booby, the yellow-crowned night heron, 
 the gallinule, the crow, and a species of extinct 
 and hitherto unknown rail. The bones of the 
 green turtle were also found, as were the remains 
 of eight different varieties of fish. A number of 
 claws of the common, light-colored land crab 
 proved that the aborigines did not despise these 
 animals in their dietary. 
 
 229 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 But not only are the shells and bones found 
 in the kitchen-middens important as evidences of 
 the food of the Indians; frequently they are of the 
 highest zoological interest, if they belonged to 
 animals now extinct. 
 
 There can be no doubt that St. Croix supported 
 a large aboriginal population. There are village 
 sites like that of Salt River in many other parts 
 of the island. Then the stone axes and other pre- 
 Columbian implements which had been picked up 
 by tillers of the fields, and are to be seen in almost 
 every laborer's cabin on the island, add to the 
 evidence that the population in pre-historic days 
 must have been far more dense than it is now. 
 
 To the tourist, as well as to the archeologist, 
 St. Croix offers pleasant possibilities in the way of 
 excursions. The island has been aptly named 
 "the Garden of the Antilles," because of its lux- 
 uriant vegetation. The wilder element of the 
 scenery of the other Virgin Islands is noticeably 
 lacking, but St. Croix, with its myriad shades of 
 verdure, is a constant delight to the eyes of those 
 unaccustomed to tropical vegetation. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 A VISIT TO THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 BUCCANEERS AND REBELS— A RULER WHO IS JACK-OF-ALL- 
 TRADES— TORTOLA AND THE SURROUNDING CAYS— WHY 
 THE SAILORS OF JOST VAN DYKE DROWN— VICTIMS OF THE 
 PROPRIETORS— THE ATTRACTIONS OF TORTOLA— THE DI- 
 VERTING STORY OF AUDAIN— VIRGIN GORDA AND ITS 
 PENINSLT^AS— ANEGADA, "THE DROWNED ISLAND"— MEN 
 WHO LIVE ON SHIPWRECKS 
 
 THE early history of the British Virgin 
 Islands is shrouded in darkness. There 
 is brief mention of the fact that these 
 islands were first settled in 1648 by Dutch buc- 
 caneers who made them a base from which they 
 carried on their piratical raids upon merchant 
 shipping. It seems certain that Great Britain laid 
 claim to the islands as early as 1666 and has owned 
 them without interruption ever since. But how 
 the sea-rovers came to lose these possessions to 
 the British and what class of Englishmen first 
 came to the islands, is not definitely known. 
 
 From 1666 until 1793 the islands appear to have 
 existed without any definite administrative organi- 
 zation. Not until 1773 was a court of justice 
 
 created with a civil governor. 
 
 231 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 In 1831 a plot was formed by the negroes to 
 murder the male whites, plunder the islands and 
 seize such ships as might be found in the harbors. 
 Their intention was to carry off the wives of their 
 former masters to Hayti, where they wished to 
 join the citizens of this negro republic. As in 1733 
 the government of the British Virgin Islands had 
 helped the St. Thomas authorities to suppress the 
 rebellion on St. John, the Danes now reciprocated 
 by dispatching a man-of-war to Tortola in order 
 to intimidate the rebels. The presence of this 
 ship was sufficient to subdue the negroes. 
 
 In 1867 a legislative council was given to the 
 colony. Finally an ordinance, dated May 1, 1902, 
 placed the islands under the authority of the gov- 
 ernor of the Leeward Islands, they forming a 
 separate presidency. The commissioner in charge 
 is usually a physician, as the presidency is too poor 
 to support a resident physician as well as a coni- 
 missioner. Besides being administrator and physi- 
 cian, he holds the offices of chief judge, recorder of 
 
 deeds, et cetera. 
 
 The line between the British and the American 
 islands runs from the north between Little Tobago 
 and Hans Lolhk; from thence to the channel 
 232 
 
VISIT TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 between Thatch Island, Tortola and St. John, 
 around the eastern end of the latter, and thence 
 through Flanagan Passage. 
 
 The total area of the British islands is about 
 fifty-eight square miles, and they consist of over 
 forty cays and islands. They support a population 
 of a Uttle over five thousand inhabitants, though 
 the number is constantly decreasing. But few ships 
 call here and the only communication with the 
 outside world is by sailboat and by motorboat 
 from St. Thomas. Those who man these boats 
 are the finest seamen in the West Indies. Their 
 familiarity with the currents in the channels be- 
 tween islands, with the reefs and other hidden 
 dangers, and with the baffling winds caused by the 
 surrounding mountain tops, makes them the best 
 of boat-handlers. 
 
 The cHmate of Tortola and of the other British 
 Virgin Islands is especially good. At times 
 the days are quite cool, for the temperature 
 frequently ranges as low as sixty-five degrees 
 Fahrenheit. 
 
 That the trade of the islands is of little conse- 
 quence may be judged from the fact that in 1914 
 the only export worth mentioning was 35,201 
 
 233 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 pounds of cotton. The imports in 1915 amounted 
 to $41,132, and the exports to $32,805. 
 
 The origin of the name of the island of Tortola, 
 meaning "turtle-dove," is unknown. It seems 
 more than likely that the early Spanish discoverers 
 gave it that name, but it is difficult to understand 
 how it survived from 1493, when the island was 
 first seen, until 1666. 
 
 Tortola lies in latitude 18 degrees, 25 minutes 
 N., and longitude 64 degrees, 40 minutes W. It 
 is extremely mountainous, the highest elevation. 
 Sage Mountain, dominating all the surrounding 
 land with an altitude of 1780 feet. It is shaped 
 irregularly, and is ten miles long by three and one- 
 half miles wide. Of its 13,300 acres, one-fifth were 
 under cultivation in 1815, but it is doubtful if 
 to-day more than one-twentieth of the land is 
 tilled. 
 
 The island is surrounded by a number of cays 
 of which the largest are Jost Van Dyke, Norman 
 Island, Peter Island, Beef Island, Guano Island, 
 Great Camanoe Island and Scrub Island. Jost 
 Van Dyke, which was named for one of the leaders 
 of the Dutch buccaneers who first settled here, is 
 the most prominent of these cays, having a peak 
 234 
 
VISIT TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 with an elevation of 1070 feet. It is inhabited by 
 some three hundred and fifty settlers, who are 
 even better boatmen and fishermen than the other 
 inhabitants of the British Virgin Islands. It is 
 said locally that they are so confident of their 
 ability as sailors that they have never taken the 
 trouble to learn to swim. So, whenever there is 
 a mishap to any boat from these islands, the 
 members of the crew who are natives of Jost Van 
 Dyke are the ones drowned. 
 
 Tortola has the same geological formation as 
 St. John. It is very fertile in parts, but is not 
 well watered, there being but one rivulet. Limes, 
 oranges, and other fruits are grown. The vendors 
 of these products go to the markets of Charlotte- 
 Amalia. 
 
 There the local merchants, knowing that they 
 are obliged to sell their fruits before these be- 
 come spoiled and that Charlotte-Amalia is the 
 only place where a sale can be made, offer them 
 very low prices in comparison with the prices 
 given for the same products raised on St. John and 
 St. Thomas. The unfortunate Tortola islanders 
 are bound either to accept these prices or to 
 
 throw their produce away. 
 
 235 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Other products which find a ready sale on St. 
 Thomas are charcoal, which is burned by the men, 
 and is carried to market in small sailing boats, 
 and drawn work, in the making of which the women 
 are quite expert. 
 
 Another industry is being developed by the 
 planting of coconut groves, and it is possible that 
 these groves may prove to be a saving factor in 
 the economic life of the island. In 1904 experi- 
 ments were conducted for the growing of sea- 
 island cotton, but for some reason these experi- 
 ments were not very successful and the expecta- 
 tions of an island-wide cultivation of the cotton 
 plants did not materialize. 
 
 There are a number of bays, of which Road 
 Harbor is the most important. While this bay is 
 exposed to the southeast, it is protected from all 
 other sides by an amphitheatre of lofty hills. Here 
 as many as three or four hundred sailing vessels 
 used to assemble to await the coming of a convoy 
 of men-of-war to protect them on their homeward- 
 bound voyage, and in those days, Tortola was a 
 place of considerable trafl&c. A number of old 
 forts still bear evidence of those days of prosperity, 
 when it was found necessary to protect the ship- 
 236 
 
VISIT TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 ping that took shelter here from the raids of buc- 
 caneers and privateersmen. 
 
 Some four thousand people live on the island. 
 Most of these are scattered through the moun- 
 tains, only about four hundred being found in the 
 settlement of Roadtown. This village, which 
 stands on the southwest shore of the bay, is sur- 
 mounted by the ruins of Fort Charlotte, situated 
 on a spur of the main mountain range, 940 feet 
 high. But for the commissioner's residence and 
 the custom house, the place would be nothing more 
 than a collection of fishermen's huts with here 
 and there the ruins of large houses to tell of the 
 former importance of the town. 
 
 At one time Roadtown was the scene of many 
 condemnation proceedings of captured privateers 
 and freebooting craft. Such vessels were fre- 
 quently brought to Tortola by British cruisers. 
 These sales contributed in no inconsiderable degree 
 to the resources and prosperity of the town. An 
 attempt to add to this prosperity was made when 
 the British proclaimed Tortola a free port, in the 
 effort to keep pace with the development of 
 Charlotte-Amalia on St. Thomas. 
 
 The only regular communication between Road- 
 
 237 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 town and the Virgin Islands of the United States 
 is by a small sloop which goes to Charlotte- Amalia 
 once a week to get the mail. A voyage on this 
 sloop can be recommended heartily for those who 
 are not afraid of roughing it and who care to enjoy 
 a pleasant trip through the channels among the 
 islands. 
 
 Directly across Road Harbor Bay, on the east- 
 ern side, lies the small and scattered settlement 
 named Kingston. 
 
 A short distance from Roadtown are the Bo- 
 tanic Gardens, as well as the Experiment Station 
 where attempts are being made to exploit the 
 agricultural possibilities of the British Virgin 
 Islands. At the west end of the bay are seen the 
 interesting ruins of Fort Burt. A number of other 
 ruined fortifications may be seen along the coast. 
 
 Ruined sugar estates are everywhere, for on 
 this island, as on the Virgin Islands to the west- 
 ward, sugar cane was at one time extensively cul- 
 tivated. 
 
 Good ponies are for sale or for hire on Tortola 
 
 and pleasant rides and excursions can be made 
 
 all over the island. The roads over the mountain 
 
 paths are of wonderful scenic interest and often 
 
 238 
 
VISIT TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 lead by precipitous ravines. No visitor should 
 fail to take the road which leads by "Anderson's 
 Leap," named in honor of one Anderson who 
 managed to land at the bottom of a ravine without 
 breaking his neck. 
 
 The hunting on Tortola is very good, and a 
 yachting trip around its shores would be a source 
 of great delight. A voyage to Norman Island 
 will remind one of the days when buccaneers had 
 their hold on the Spanish Main. On this cay are 
 a few interesting caverns, called the *' Pirates' 
 Caves," in one of which a chest of treasure was 
 once found. 
 
 No visitor to Tortola can escape without hear- 
 ing the story of a man named Audain who at one 
 time lived here. Audain began life as a midship- 
 man in the British navy, but, finding this profes- 
 sion unprofitable, he became a clergyman on the 
 Virgin Islands. Later he broadened his activities 
 by obtaining a license as an auctioneer and also 
 by building a schooner with which he engaged in 
 the profitable business of privateering. 
 
 If half of the stories told of Audain are true, 
 he must have combined courage with cupidity 
 and hypocrisy with heresy. It is said that at one 
 
 239 
 
 w: 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 time he was conducting services in church when 
 he noted from his pulpit that a British man-of-war 
 was pursuing a privateersman. Hurriedly dis- 
 missing his congregation, he boarded his own vessel 
 in order to give chase. The wind being light, he 
 made use of the large oars with which his schooner 
 was provided and succeeded in capturing the 
 privateer before the man-of-war could approach. 
 
 He was a great duellist. It is said that at one 
 time, after he had fired twice without success, and 
 while he was waiting for the pistols to be re-loaded, 
 he walked up to his antagonist, saying, "Some- 
 thing between, something between, good sir;'* 
 then promptly knocked him down with his fist. 
 He finally wound up his varied life as a trader in 
 Hayti. 
 
 The island of Virgin Gorda, or the "Fat 
 Virgin," as it was called by the early Spanish dis- 
 coverers, has never been able to lay claim to the 
 slightest importance. It lies in latitude 18 degrees, 
 30 minutes N., and longitude 64 degrees, 25 min- 
 utes W. The main part of the island is a rectangle, 
 two and one-half miles long by one and three- 
 fourths miles wide. One peninsula runs out from 
 the northeast coast in a direction almost due west. 
 240 
 
VISIT TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 This peninsula is a half mile wide and four miles 
 long. Another peninsula runs due south from the 
 southwest coast and is three and one-half miles 
 long and a half mile wide. The main body of the 
 island has one high mountain, the Virgin Peak, 
 with an elevation of 1370 feet. 
 
 The eastern peninsula ends in Pajaros Point, 
 a remarkable pinnacle rock. The eastern coast of 
 the southern peninsula has been broken up by 
 some violent action of nature into immense granite 
 blocks which are scattered along the shores. 
 Between some of these bowlders there are large 
 pools which have the appearance of baths and are 
 erroneously attributed to Indian handiwork. They 
 are, however, nothing but natural formations. A 
 continuance of this peninsula is a small island, 
 Fallen Jerusalem, which, because of the presence 
 of these same granite blocks, presents the curious 
 appearance of a ruined city, this illusion being 
 especially noticeable from a distance. Many of 
 these blocks are from sixty to seventy feet square. 
 They appear to have been hewn out by giants and 
 rest the one upon the other in the haphazard order 
 so often found in such freaks of nature. 
 
 The island is very close to Tortola, Drake 
 16 241 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Channel being but four and one-half miles wide 
 between Virgin Gorda and Reef Island, the latter 
 lying off Tortola. It is badly watered, there being 
 but two small wells on the entire island and 
 absolutely no rivulets. An abandoned copper 
 mine is pointed out to visitors, and there are said 
 to be gold and silver on the island. 
 
 The total number of inhabitants of Virgin 
 Gorda is but 417. The majority of these people 
 live in the small settlement called Spanishtown. 
 They make a precarious living by raising vege- 
 tables and stock and the producing of charcoal 
 for the St. Thomas market. Owing to its unpro- 
 ductiveness. Virgin Gorda was never densely 
 populated, though it was at one time fortified 
 because of its strategic position, controlling as it 
 does the channels leading to the other Virgin 
 
 Islands. 
 
 The island of Anegada, the loneliest outpost 
 of the Caribbean Sea, Hes 14 miles due north 
 of Virgin Gorda. It is situated in latitudelS degrees, 
 45 minutes N., and longitude 64 degrees, 20 minutes 
 W., and has a length of nine miles and a breadth 
 of from one to two miles. The total area is thirteen 
 square miles. In most places it has an elevation 
 242 
 
TURN-OUT \V1TH NATIVE DRIVER 
 
 X 
 
 NORTH COAST OF ST. THOMAS 
 With Thatch Island and British Islands of Tobago and Little Tobago in Distance 
 
VISIT TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 of but thirty feet, and its highest point is only- 
 sixty feet above sea level. 
 
 The Anegada coast has always been known as a 
 most dangerous spot for ships. In the days when 
 St. Thomas was one of the busiest ports of the 
 West Indies, Anegada had more wrecks in two 
 years than those two dreaded localities on the 
 American coast. Cape Race and Sable Island, can 
 now claim in thirty-six months. Tides and currents 
 are nowhere in the West Indies as swift as they 
 are here and in few spots in the Seven Seas are 
 there so many reefs and hidden dangers. Occasion- 
 ally mariners can hardly see the island owing to the 
 mist caused by spray which forms when the great 
 waves dash against the cliffs. This mist hangs 
 over the island and often hides it completely. It 
 is from this fact that Anegada derived its Spanish 
 name, "Drowned Island." 
 
 Anegada is of tertiary limestone formation, 
 over a core of volcanic origin. It is covered mostly 
 with brushwood. The numerous large salt water 
 lagoons are visited at certain seasons by thousands 
 of flamingoes, which come here during the rainy 
 season when their accustomed haunts on the Ori- 
 noco River in South America are inundated 
 
 243 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 and they must go elsewhere in search of food. 
 
 There are no rivulets on Anegada. Water is 
 obtained from two curious water holes named 
 "The Wells" on the northeast coast of the island, 
 but the inhabitants prefer to drink the rain water 
 which they catch in their cisterns. They make 
 use of the fresh water from The Wells for the cul- 
 tivation of crops. These curious water holes have 
 a mouth from ten to twenty-five feet in diameter 
 and a funnel-shaped formation. They are very 
 deep, and the surface rises and falls with the tide. 
 The water in them is not only fresh, but it is also 
 colder than the sea water. 
 
 Anegada was the first settled of all the Virgin 
 Islands and was a favorite resort of buccaneers 
 and filibusterers. These undesirable subjects were 
 driven off by two successive naval expeditions sent 
 out by Henry Morgan when this former buccaneer 
 became governor of Jamaica and waged relentless 
 war upon his erstwhile companions. The buc- 
 caneers were then replaced by settlers who lived 
 on the booty saved from the ships wrecked here. 
 In fact, they made so much in this way that they 
 gave but scant time to agriculture or to stock- 
 raising. In earlier days these wreckers did not 
 244 
 
VISIT TO BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 hesitate to murder the crews of the unfortunate 
 ships that struck on the island and they made no 
 effort to rescue the drowning. 
 
 These conditions have now changed, for severe 
 penalties are meted out by the Tortola govern- 
 ment. The Anegadians still have a tendency to 
 lay pilfering fingers on any unfortunate ship that 
 goes aground here, but there is no actual violence. 
 
 The island has poor agricultural possibilities. 
 The four hundred and fifty-nine inhabitants are 
 all of them black or colored. They raise a certain 
 amount of stock and vegetables, but spend their 
 time mostly in an anxious lookout for shipwrecks. 
 Most of their houses and huts are built from the 
 timbers and other remains of vessels that found a 
 last resting place on the island. Numbers of the 
 wrecks are still to be seen on the surrounding reefs. 
 
 There are said to be copper and silver ore 
 deposits on the island, but none of these are worked. 
 A quantity of buried pirate treasure is also sup- 
 posed to exist here. 
 
 Many snakes and a poisonous variety of wasp 
 disturb the otherwise peaceful existence of the 
 inhabitants. 
 
 It is an interesting archeological fact that even 
 
 245 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Anegada supported a large aboriginal population 
 Numerous deposits of large extent, consisting 
 mostly of conch shells, are found upon the east 
 end of the island and around the shores of the 
 lagoons. These deposits go to prove that the 
 Indians, even if they did not come here for any 
 permanent settlement, at least visited the place 
 to obtain a supply of shell food. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 HINTS FOR THE TOURIST 
 
 THE CLOTHING A MAN SHOULD CARRY WITH HIM— WHAT 
 THE WOMAN VISITOR NEEDS— WHY SILKS ARE USELESS- 
 ROUTES AND RATES OF FARE— HOTELS AND BOARDING 
 HOUSES— OTHER ADVANTAGES— THE LAND WHERE SOUVE- 
 NIRS ARE UNKNOWN 
 
 THE tourist who intends to pay a visit to 
 the Virgin Islands naturally desires to 
 learn a number of facts pertaining to 
 them before beginning his voyage. 
 
 Perhaps the first matter on which information 
 is desired is suitable clothing. The male tourist 
 need have little difficulty here. If he will provide 
 himself with the same underwear he is accustomed 
 to wear in summer in the United States and a 
 number of Palm Beach suits, he will find himself 
 comfortable under all circumstances. Pith helmets 
 are not needed, as the heat of the sun is not great 
 enough to warrant the use of these clumsy contriv- 
 ances. An ordinary wide-brimmed panama or 
 straw hat will fill every need. Stiff collars are, in 
 the daytime, out of place; the use of soft collars or 
 of shirts with rolling collars is recommended. In 
 
 247 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 the evening warmer clothes should be worn. 
 Either light flannels or light serge will offset the 
 chill which sometimes is felt at night. 
 
 The tourist should, by all means, take his 
 evening clothes with him, as he will have many 
 opportunities to use his dinner jacket or his 
 formal dress suit. As to footwear, it will not be 
 found necessary to carry along anything more than 
 the usual supply. White canvas shoes with rubber 
 heels will be found more satisfactory than buck- 
 skin shoes, for they are cooler and they are less 
 apt to be spoiled by the well-meaning but often 
 unskilful shoe-cleaners at the hotels and on ship- 
 board. Leather soles will be found more durable 
 and less heating than rubber soles. 
 
 Another need is a light cravenette raincoat, 
 for this will be useful on rainy days. A rubber 
 coat is not recommended, since this is liable to 
 crack after a short sojourn in the tropics; all pre- 
 pared rubber goods have a short life south of the 
 twenty-third degree of latitude. 
 
 The tourist who visits the islands with the idea 
 
 of going in for hunting, boating or riding should 
 
 by all means bring light khaki clothes, which will 
 
 be found serviceable and will give good wear. For 
 
 248 
 
BLLKliKARD S CASTLE AT T(JP OF LUCHETTI S HILL, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA, 
 
 ST. THOMAS 
 
 V 
 
 aj^»rit^.u..^^-^^ 
 
 THE BARRACKS, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
 
t'liuLugraph by \\ illiaiii H. Ran 
 
 IN THE MARKET PLACE, CHARLOTTE- AM ALIA 
 
HINTS FOR THE TOURIST 
 
 these sports, heavy boots are also recommended, 
 as the thorns and sharp stones will quickly destroy 
 the lighter kind. Bathing suits should not be 
 forgotten if the visitor is a lover of this sport, for 
 which he can find every opportunity. 
 
 It is more difficult to advise women tourists 
 as to the clothes they ought to carry with them, 
 but one word of advice may not be taken amiss. 
 Do not bring gowns made of silk. Dresses of this 
 material will look all right for a time, but after a 
 few weeks they will suddenly split everywhere 
 they have been folded. This is another of the 
 mysteries of a tropical climate which many a visitor 
 has found out to her cost. Plenty of washable 
 gowns and dresses, of linen and other like material, 
 will be found best for daytime wear. Laundresses 
 on the island are experienced, careful and inexpen- 
 sive. For the evenings gowns made of crepe de 
 chine, organdie, et cetera, will be best. 
 
 The next important question is how to reach 
 
 the islands. The Quebec Steamship Company has 
 
 a fleet of three steamers under the British flag 
 
 which call, approximately, bi-monthly at St. 
 
 Thomas and St. Croix on their way from New 
 
 York to ports of the Leeward Islands. The fare 
 
 249 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 from New York to St. Thomas is $70 each way, 
 and the passage takes from five and one-half to 
 six days. The largest ship of these three vessels, 
 the Guiana, is quite comfortable. The food sup- 
 plied is good, while there are ample cabin accom- 
 modations and plenty of deck room. The other 
 two vessels of this line are not recommended, 
 except to travelers who have no objection to rough- 
 ing it. This is the only steamship company which 
 sails from New York direct to the islands. 
 
 Another way to reach St. Thomas is by taking 
 one of the two steamship lines which sail from New 
 York to Porto Rico. Of these two lines, the New 
 York and Porto Rico Steamship Company has 
 larger steamers than the Red D Line. Both are 
 under the American flag, and the vessels of both 
 are very comfortable and their owners take the 
 utmost pains to satisfy their patrons. The New 
 York and Porto Rico Steamship Company has 
 three vessels on the New York to San Juan route 
 which leave New York on Saturdays and reach 
 San Juan Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morn- 
 ing. The fare depends upon the accommodations 
 one selects, varying from $45 to $65. In San Juan 
 
 one can connect with the inter-island steamer of 
 250 
 
HINTS FOR THE TOURIST 
 
 the Bull-Insular Line whiclil makes a fortnightly 
 trip to St. Thomas, leaving \San Juan Thursday- 
 night and reaching Charloti^e-Amalia the next 
 Friday morning at daybreak.: The fare on this 
 little steamer for the night trip 'is $15. While the 
 accommodations are somewhat (ipramped, they are 
 clean and the trip is of but eight hours duration. 
 The Carmen, a small motor vessel which has a 
 contract for the carrying of the mails, also con- 
 nects Porto Rico with St. ThomasJt It leaves 
 Fajardo every Friday morning for " Charlotte- 
 Amalia. A line of motor buses connects S n Juan 
 and Fajardo, so that one is not obliged to spend 
 the night in this village. The entire trip does not 
 take over eight hours in all, being two hours from 
 San Juan to Fajardo and six hours at sea from 
 Fajardo to Charlotte- Amalia. This cannot be 
 recommended, however, as accommodations for 
 passengers are limited to benches in the cabin. 
 The fare on this vessel is $10; but $5 extra must 
 be paid for the motor trip from San Juan to 
 Fajardo, 
 
 Two of the steamers of the Red D Line are on 
 the New York-San Juan route. They leave New 
 York every other Wednesday and reach San Juan 
 
 251 
 
THE VIRj&IN ISLANDS 
 
 Monday afternoon. li?rom San Juan to St. Thomas 
 the same connections as those noted above have 
 to be made. The olJher two ships of this company- 
 leave New York oq the intervening Wednesdays 
 and go direct to Mayaguez, on the west coast of 
 Porto Rico. From there one can take the railroad 
 to San Juan to make connections for St. Thomas 
 and the other Virgin Islands. The fare on the 
 Red D Linei is from $45 to ^55, according to 
 accommodations. 
 
 There is a noticeable lack of suitable com- 
 munica ion between the different Virgin Islands. 
 One is occasionally fortunate enough to secure 
 passage on one of the Quebec Line steamers from 
 St. Thomas to St. Croix. Failing this, it is neces- 
 sary to depend entirely upon sailboats and motor- 
 boats for travel between St. Thomas, St. John, 
 and St. Croix. It is to be hoped that a small 
 steamer or motorboat will soon be placed m service 
 between the islands, with a government subsidy 
 for the carrying of mail. Such a vessel should be 
 a profitable venture. 
 
 As recuperating resorts for invalids the Virgin 
 Islands unquestionably offer incomparable oppor- 
 tunities. The climate in many ways is far superior 
 252 
 
1 
 
 I 
 
HINTS FOR THE TOURIST 
 
 to that of the Bermudas and the Bahamas, and the 
 quiet life of the islands should be a favorable ele- 
 ment in the treatment of patients who go there. 
 The man who builds a large sanatorium on St. 
 John should have a remunerative investment, if 
 the place is well advertised and well managed. 
 
 The tourist will find two hotels in Charlotte- 
 Amalia and a number of boarding houses. The 
 Grand Hotel, with about twenty-five rooms, sit- 
 uated directly opposite Emancipation Park, is 
 considered the better, although the Hotel Italia, 
 with abc^ut twenty rooms, is also well spoken of. 
 Both hotels charge ahke, according to accommoda- 
 tions, and are on the American plan. The meals 
 at the Grand Hotel are served on a large covered 
 balcony which overlooks the little park and the 
 wonderful harbor, and the mild climate and the 
 absence of mosquitoes make dining here a constant 
 
 pleasure. 
 
 The cooking in Charlotte-Amalia is renowned, 
 and the tourist is advised to come here prepared 
 to like the creole dishes. It may be said in general 
 of West Indian cooking that the native dishes are 
 far more wholesome and delightful than the con- 
 coctions that are sometimes provided by tourist 
 
 253 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 resorts with the claim that they are American 
 dishes. There are, of course, imported meats, 
 canned salmon and many other canned edibles. 
 But if the visitor is content with fish that was alive 
 in the sea not more than one hour before it comes 
 on the table, with fresh native lobster more delicate 
 in flavor than the far-famed coast-of -Maine variety, 
 with vegetables which, even if unfamiliar to his 
 eyes and taste, are as toothsome as the kinds he 
 s accustomed to eat up North, he cannot fail to 
 be pleased. 
 
 St. John has practically no accommodations 
 for visitors. For some time a boarding house was 
 kept in an historic old estate house at Leinster Bay, 
 but this was destroyed by the hurricane of 1916, 
 and it is doubtful if it will be rebuilt. Limited 
 accommodations for visitors are to be had in a 
 small bungalow belonging to one of the inhabitants 
 of Cruz Bay. While these are quite suitable for 
 the temporary stay of two or three guests, they 
 are not sufficient for a party of any size. 
 
 Both in Frederiksted and Christiansted there 
 
 are good boarding houses for visitors, with ample 
 
 accommodations and good cooking. Numerous 
 
 owners of the smaller estates are also willing to 
 
 254 
 
HINTS FOR THE TOURIST 
 
 take in boarders who care for the country Hfe of 
 
 the island. 
 
 There are excellent shops in St. Thomas, whose 
 prices correspond favorably with those of the 
 United States. There is also a good drug store. 
 In fact, a visitor will be able to secure practically 
 all he needs. This is true also of St. Croix; but on 
 St. John nothing is obtainable. On both St. 
 Thomas and St. Croix there are experienced physi- 
 cians, and trained nurses are available. 
 
 Practically no tourist souvenirs are obtainable 
 on the islands with the exception of the native 
 baskets that are now produced on St. John. This 
 lack is perhaps one of the chief charms of a stay 
 there. Elsewhere in the West Indies vendors of 
 rubbish and trash make life a misery to the tourist 
 by their clamorous solicitations. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 DETAILED AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, SHIP- 
 PING AND BANKING INFORMATION 
 
 THE facts presented in this chapter are 
 quoted from government documents, in- 
 cluding United States Commerce Re- 
 ports, the United States Naval Medical Bulletin, 
 and the Special Agents' Report made to the De- 
 partment of Commerce on December 14, 1916, by 
 H. G. Brock, Philip S. Smith, and W. A. Tucker. 
 
 FOREIGN TRADE 
 
 Imposts 
 
 The total value of the St. Thomas imports 
 during the fiscal year ended March 31, 1916, with 
 the exception of machinery and material worth 
 $19,165 that was brought in for use at the harbor 
 works at Longbay, was $734,680, which was shared 
 as follows by the chief countries of origin : United 
 States, $332,286; West Indies, $91,748; Great 
 Britain, $88,411; Denmark, $50,778; France, 
 $13,286; the Netherlands, $12,601; and Germany, 
 $1,195. Imports at St. Thomas constitute about 
 70 per cent, of the imports for all three islands. 
 256 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 Figures for the shipments to St. Croix, either direct 
 or via St. Thomas, are not shown separately. 
 
 The value of the principal articles imported 
 into St. Thomas during the fiscal year ended 
 March 31, 1914 (the year preceding the war), and 
 1916 (a whole year under war conditions), is 
 shown in the following table: 
 
 Articles 1914 1916 Articles 1914 1916 
 
 Ammumtion . . . $6,718 $2,102 Breadstuffs : 
 
 United States 6,562 1,919 Com 4,098 3 715 
 
 Apparel 9,470 5,575 u n i t e d ' 
 
 UmtedKing- States... 4,094 3,415 
 
 United States 3,966 2,764 United 
 
 Beverages: States... 7,43710,028 
 
 Coffee 3,818 2,863 Flour- 
 
 West Indies (a) 2,468 TV i, ^ « + 
 
 States^... 112 353 te^'S^ 
 
 Tea 883 2,280 aU from the 
 
 United United 
 
 Kingdom 1,340 „ States) .... 46,336 62,301 
 
 Germany . . 861 Rye. ...... . 2,224 3,377 
 
 Boats, etc 2,935 1,338 United 
 
 United States 2,000 599 ^ States. .. 2,086 3,377 
 
 Boots and shoes 14,632 14,504 Rice 6,247 5,420 
 
 United States 13,751 11,662 Germany. . 4,064 
 
 United King- Nether- 
 
 dom 283 1,034 lands. . . . 1,303 
 
 Breadstuffs: United 
 
 Cereals, n.e.s. 1,314 1,634 Kingdom 815 4,770 
 
 United United 
 
 States... 5 43 1,106 States 342 
 
 (a) Not separately sUted. All Other 4,848 4,023 
 
 17 257 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Articles 1914 
 
 1916 
 
 Articles 1914 
 
 1916 
 
 Breadstuff s, all other: 
 
 
 Fancy goods . . . 11,237 
 
 7,750 
 
 United 
 
 
 United States 6,296 
 
 6,625 
 
 States 2,876 
 
 2,439 
 
 United King- 
 
 
 United King- 
 
 
 dom 3,138 
 
 1,096 
 
 dom 1,262 
 
 1,450 
 
 Fish, dried. 
 
 
 Cement 3,671 
 
 6,339 
 
 salted, etc. 8,080 
 
 5,840 
 
 Denmark.... 2,269 
 
 5,626 
 
 United States 5,349 
 
 4,475 
 
 United States 238 
 
 31 
 
 Denmark.... 2,395 
 
 1,143 
 
 Chinaware, 
 
 
 Fruits and vege- 
 
 
 crockery. 
 
 
 tables, fresh: 
 
 
 etc 3,075 
 
 1,671 
 
 Beans and 
 
 
 Germany .... 920 
 
 
 peas. . . . 6,651 
 
 7,308 
 
 United King- 
 
 
 United 
 
 
 dom 865 
 
 951 
 
 States... 6,483 
 
 7,230 
 
 United States 675 
 
 578 
 
 Other.. 32,433 12,364 
 
 Coal 262,805 83,214 
 
 United 
 
 
 United 
 
 
 States... 28,921 
 
 5,064 
 
 States.... 262,805 82,013 
 
 West Indies 2,279 
 
 7,300 
 
 Confectionery, 
 
 
 Fruits and nuts. 
 
 
 chocolate, 
 
 
 dried 2,317 
 
 1,506 
 
 cocoa, etc. . 4,792 
 
 5,548 
 
 France 2,080 
 
 36 
 
 Denmark. . . . 2,033 
 
 123 
 
 United States 
 
 1,256 
 
 United States 1,217 
 
 1,612 
 
 Glassware. . .. .12,799 
 
 6,800 
 
 United King- 
 
 
 Germany .... 10,831 
 
 
 dom 1,204 
 
 1,115 
 
 United States 1,102 
 
 3,817 
 
 Dairy products: 
 
 
 Denmark 66 
 
 2,200 
 
 Butter 17,982 12,979 
 
 Gold, silver and 
 
 
 Denmark. . 14,871 10,408 
 
 plated ware 1,443 
 
 526 
 
 United 
 
 
 United States 310 
 
 289 
 
 States... 1,937 
 
 2,560 
 
 Hats and caps. 
 
 
 Cheese^ 7,308 
 
 5,072 
 
 n.e.s 1,420 
 
 605 
 
 United 
 
 
 United King- 
 
 
 States... 4,041 
 
 4,437 
 
 dom 1,263 
 
 420 
 
 Germany.. 2,049 
 
 129 
 
 United States 17 
 
 185 
 
 Drugs and 
 
 
 Lard, animal 
 
 
 chemicals.. 6,735 
 
 4,282 
 
 and vege- 
 
 
 United States 3,907 
 
 2,534 
 
 table 1,925 10,124 
 
 United King- 
 
 
 United States 1,705 10,122 
 
 dom 1,302 
 
 875 
 
 Live stock 
 
 
 Germany 1,204 
 
 • • • • ■ 
 
 (West Indies) 14,409 12,397 
 
 258 
 
 
 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 Articles 1914 1916 
 
 Margarine 9,083 5,781 
 
 United States 7,212 5,043 
 Meats, smoked, 
 
 salted, etc. 1,667 7,807 
 Denmark.... 1,351 130 
 
 United States 7,652 
 
 Metals and man- 
 ufactures of: 
 Machinery.. 1,765 789 
 United 
 
 States.. 1,103 274 
 Denmark . 187 474 
 Wire, pipes, 
 plates, 
 
 etc 18,984 10,364 
 
 United 
 
 Engdom 7,918 2,899 
 United 
 
 States.. 7,791 6,741 
 All other.... 21,957 8,250 
 United 
 
 States.. 14,817 3,787 
 United 
 
 Kingdom 4,749 2,681 
 Germany.. 1,405 185 
 Oils, mineral 
 and vege- 
 table 21,136 149,850 
 
 United States 10,253 7,286 
 Paints, colors, 
 
 etc 17,223 7,291 
 
 United States 10,955 1,453 
 United King- 
 dom 6,052, 5,430 
 
 Paper and paper 
 
 goods 8,996 7,627 
 
 United King- 
 dom 2,939 1,187 
 
 United States 2,497 3,688 
 France...... 1,446 816 
 
 Articles 1914 1916 
 
 Perfumes, toilet 
 
 soaps, etc.. 7,410 3,207 
 
 France 3,025 2,096 
 
 United King- 
 dom 1,413 491 
 
 United States 1,665 505 
 
 Preserves 12,646 7,524 
 
 United King- 
 dom 3,806 1,340 
 
 United States 3,271 4,262 
 Soap, common. 1,341 7,471 
 United States 1,123 739 
 United King- 
 dom 6,465 
 
 Spirits, wines 
 and liquors: 
 Beer, porter 
 and malt 
 
 extract. . 15,104 10,145 
 Denmark. . 10,743 9,353 
 United 
 K i n g - 
 
 dom 2,783 683 
 
 United 
 
 States. . . 223 107 
 
 Brandy 1,552 1,150 
 
 United 
 King- 
 dom 527 807 
 
 France .... 420 343 
 
 Germany. . 602 
 
 Gin 12,602 10,099 
 
 Nether- 
 lands.... 12,109 9,662 
 
 Liqueurs 1,341 427 
 
 France.... 781 268 
 Rum (West 
 
 Indies).... 6,835 5,848 
 
 259 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 Articles 
 
 1914 
 
 1916 
 
 Spirits, wines 
 
 
 
 and liquors ; 
 
 1 
 
 
 Whisky (prac- 
 
 
 
 tically all 
 
 
 
 from United 
 
 [ 
 
 
 Kingdom) . 
 
 7,101 
 
 3,632 
 
 Wine 11,807 
 
 4,797 
 
 France .... 
 
 4,342 
 
 2,526 
 
 United 
 
 
 
 States. . . 
 
 63 
 
 401 
 
 Other spirits . 23,704 20,171 
 
 Westlndies 17,067 19,150 
 
 Germany . . 
 
 4,403 
 
 
 Starch 
 
 3,050 
 
 2,029 
 
 United States 2,988 
 
 2,015 
 
 Straw and straw 
 
 
 
 goods (hats, 
 
 > 
 
 
 baskets. 
 
 
 
 etc.) ! 
 
 28,986 
 
 7.772 
 
 United King- 
 
 
 
 dom 
 
 5,173 
 
 3,542 
 
 United States 
 
 297 
 
 744 
 
 Sugar ' 
 
 38,232 
 6,133 
 
 4,130 
 
 United States 
 
 4,023 
 
 Textiles : 
 
 
 
 Cotton ' 
 
 70,006 39,398 
 
 United 
 
 
 
 Ki ng- 
 
 
 
 dom. ... 
 
 49,838 24,902 
 
 United 
 
 
 
 States. . . 
 
 13,798 11,517 
 
 Germany. . 
 
 4,614 
 
 101 
 
 Woollen .... 
 
 5,949 
 
 678 
 
 United 
 
 
 
 King- 
 
 
 
 dom. . . . 
 
 5,473 
 
 664 
 
 Silk 
 
 2,432 
 
 329 
 
 United 
 
 
 
 King- 
 
 
 
 dom. . . . 
 
 1,231 
 
 181 
 
 5,230 
 
 (a) 
 7,776 
 
 Articles 1914 
 
 Textiles: 
 
 Mixtures 3,689 
 
 United 
 King- 
 dom 3,657 
 
 France 
 
 Tobacco, and 
 manufac- 
 tures of: 
 Unmanufac- 
 tured . . . 
 United 
 States . . 
 Westlndies 
 Cigarettes . . . 
 United 
 K i n g - 
 dom. . . . 
 United 
 States. . . 
 West Indies 
 
 Cigars.. 8,851 
 
 United 
 
 States... 1,388 
 West Indies (a) 
 Wood and manu- 
 factures of: 
 
 Lumber 34,783 
 
 United 
 States... 28,631 
 
 Matches 1,005 
 
 Denmark. . 463 
 
 Staves 6,090 
 
 United 
 
 All other n.e.s 
 United 
 
 States. . . 
 
 1916 
 1,670 
 
 639 
 992 
 
 7,194 14,461 
 
 4,027 
 
 10,434 
 
 5,268 
 
 4,069 2,577 
 
 160 
 
 (a) 
 
 265 
 1,555 
 
 45 
 
 2,501 
 5,029 
 
 158 
 3,926 
 
 4,707 
 
 4,334 
 
 2,224 
 
 772 
 
 4,846 
 
 4,213 
 S,87S 
 
 441 3,292 
 
 (a) Not separately stated. 
 
 260 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 Exports 
 
 Complete statistics of exports from the Danish 
 West Indies were not obtainable. Exports to the 
 United States in 1915 amounted to $273,625. To 
 Porto Rico there were shipments worth $1,956. 
 For the preceding year the total to the United 
 States was $278,437, to Porto Rico $2,700. Ship- 
 ments to the United States are shown, by articles, 
 in the following table: 
 
 Articles 1914 1915 Articles 1914 1915 
 
 From St. Thomas From St. Croix 
 
 Bay rum $125 $146 Hides $365 
 
 Cacao 107 Household 
 
 Hides and skins 6,723 6,641 effects 421 
 
 Metal, old 663 Metal, old. . $93 3,086 
 
 Margarine 375 Rum 2,449 1,511 
 
 Paper, straw . . . 900 Skins, goat 
 
 Rum 167 70 and sheep 875 322 
 
 Sandalwood. ... 500 .... . Sugar 262,736 259,963 
 
 Sugar 1,380 Tamarinds. . 136 118 
 
 All other articles 1,978 212 
 
 Total. . .$266,289 $265,786 
 
 Total. . ..$12, 148 $7,839 
 
 Grand Total . $278,437 $273,625 
 
 MARKET FOR BOOTS AND SHOES 
 
 By far the largest number of the shoes worn 
 in the Danish West Indies at present are the 
 products of American factories. Before the war 
 in Europe stopped the regular visits of British, 
 
 261 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 French, and German traveling men, many shoes 
 were purchased from these countries. The repre- 
 sentative of a British house still visits St. Thomas 
 and St. Croix on his way to St. Kitts, Dominica, 
 Guadeloupe, Barbadoes, and the other islands of 
 the Lesser Antilles, but for the most part the ab- 
 sence of commercial travelers from the Continent 
 and the prevailing high freight rates and scarcity 
 of bottoms have left the field almost entirely to 
 American shoe manufacturers. 
 
 Only one American firm, however, a New York 
 manufacturing shoe wholesaler, is aggressively 
 going after this business, and as a result this firm 
 sells practically all the shoes that are being im- 
 ported to-day. A few orders are placed through 
 New York commission houses by means of cata- 
 logues sent out by different factories or whole- 
 salers in the United States, but there is scarcely a 
 store in either St. Thomas or St. Croix that does not 
 carry in stock a certain quantity of shoes bought 
 from this particular manufacturing shoe wholesaler. 
 There are without doubt opportunities for other 
 American manufacturers to sell shoes in this market. 
 
 There are no stores selling shoes exclusively. 
 
 Dry goods, notions, shoes, clothing, furnishings, 
 
 282 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 and, in some cases, groceries are all sold in a single 
 "general store." With two exceptions they occupy 
 small one-room buildings, with no windows in 
 which to display goods and with no modern inte- 
 rior fittings. Very little distinction is made in 
 stock arrangement, goods of one kind overlapping 
 into the next. At present the stock in most lines 
 of merchandise is very low. In St. Thomas espe- 
 cially every store possesses a heterogeneous col- 
 lection of broken lots of shoes which were bought 
 a year or two ago. In Frederiksted every one of 
 the five stores that handle boots and shoes is 
 owned and personally managed by a woman. 
 Some idea of the extent of the business done by 
 individual retailers can be obtained from the state- 
 ment that two typical stores in the towns of Fred- 
 eriksted and Christiansted bought American-made 
 shoes in 1915 to the value of $3,000 and $3,400, 
 respectively. These figures are somewhat higher 
 than the average for the retail shoe business in 
 the Danish West Indies. 
 
 MARKET FOR TEXTILES 
 
 The imports of textiles amount to slightly less 
 than $250,000 annually, cotton piece goods form- 
 ing 75 per cent, of the total and wearing apparel 
 
 263 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 about 10 per cent. The remainder is made up of 
 mixed goods, largely cotton and worsted dress 
 fabrics of British manufacture, woollens, hats, and 
 caps. Silks form a very unimportant part of the 
 imports, amounting to less than one-haK of one 
 per cent. The low earning power of the mass of 
 the population prevents the sale of any appre- 
 ciable quantity of high-priced goods, and most of 
 the imports are the cheaper grades. 
 
 The United Kingdom supplies most of the 
 cotton goods required on the islands, the customs 
 returns for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1914, 
 showing that 63 per cent, of the cottons used were 
 imported from that country. The United States, 
 the leading competitor for the trade, furnished 
 about 30 per cent., leaving a very small amount 
 for other nations. Practically all of the finer 
 grades of white goods are purchased from British 
 manufacturers, as are the prints, while the United 
 States furnishes a considerable portion of the 
 ginghams, domestics, and khakis, and nearly all 
 of the denims. 
 
 Next in importance to cotton piece goods is 
 the item of ready-to-wear apparel, the United 
 Kingdom and the United States supplying about 
 264 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 90 per cent, of the total, with British goods lead- 
 ing by a slight margin. Included in this classifi- 
 cation are all types of ready-made clothing, under- 
 wear, and hosiery. The men's clothing is almost 
 entirely khaki and drill, most of the fine white 
 suits being made to order by local tailors. In 
 women's wear suits are a very small part of the 
 dealer's imports, the native women making most 
 of their own garments and the white women pur- 
 chasing in the United States on their trips north, 
 through friends, or from catalogues issued by 
 various firms specializing in mail-order business. 
 
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMERICAN TRADE 
 
 One of the principal reasons for the relatively 
 
 small sale of American-made goods is the fact that 
 
 there has been no consistent and sustained efiFort 
 
 to secure the trade. No American house sends a 
 
 traveling man to the islands, nor has there been 
 
 adequate representation of any sort. During the 
 
 past two years the scarcity of European-made 
 
 goods has forced importers to seek new sources of 
 
 supply, and attention has been directed toward 
 
 fabrics made in the United States. In several 
 
 instances connections have been established with 
 
 265 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 a New York commission house that acts as pur- 
 chasing agent for the importer, receiving the orders 
 and searching through the market for the mer- 
 chandise required. This method works out very 
 satisfactorily in the buying of standard goods in 
 which the price factor is the dominant feature, 
 but is very undesirable in the purchase of colored 
 goods and fancies, in which color, style, and pat- 
 tern are the prime considerations. 
 
 That American manufacturers have not given 
 this market the attention it deserves is evident to 
 anyone who makes the most perfunctory investi- 
 gation of trade conditions. Lines of American 
 goods that have been introduced have been 
 successful and are now accepted as standards in 
 their class. 
 
 TARIFF 
 
 In St. Thomas the import duty on all kinds of 
 commodities is the same, namely, 6 per cent, of 
 the invoice value of the goods placed on board the 
 ship for exportation. 
 
 In St. Croix the tariff on boots and shoes is 
 nominally 123/2 P^r cent, of the invoice value, but 
 certain other charges have been imposed, includ- 
 ing an "exchange tax" of 4 per cent, and an extra 
 266 
 
Photograph by William H. Kau 
 
 ON THE SHORE, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA 
 
li. S. S. " ITAS« a" I\ TIIK FIXIATINO DOf'K. ST. THOMAS 
 
 STREET IX FRONT OF GOVERNMENT IIOUSK. <HARIX»TTE-AMAI.IA. ST. 
 Looking Eiist from Govern iiunt Hill towards Liiclulti's Hill 
 
 TIloMAS 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 tax of 25 per cent., based on the invoice value plus 
 the ** exchange tax." A shipment of shoes with an 
 invoice value of $100 would thus pay a duty at 
 the St. Croix custom houses of 123/2 P^r cent, of 
 $130 ($100 plus $4 plus $26), or virtually an im- 
 port duty of 1634 per cent. Whatever the country 
 of origin, all shoes enter at the same rate. 
 
 DOCKS AND OTHER PORT FACILITIES 
 St. Thomas Harbor 
 
 There are six docks from which coal can be 
 taken or upon which cargoes can be discharged. 
 Vessels drawing up to 31 feet can lie alongside any 
 of these docks. 
 
 There is a floating dr>' dock measuring 250 
 feet long and 70 feet wide. Its maximum lifting 
 capacity is 3,000 tons. Vessels which are not over- 
 weight and drawing 23 feet, with a keel of 300 
 feet or less, can be taken up. Tlie charge for dock- 
 ing varies from 60 cents to 90 cents per ton the 
 first day and for succeeding days it goes as low as 
 
 10 cents. 
 
 There is also a repairing slip on which small 
 vessels (not over 250 tons) are taken at the same 
 
 rates. 
 
 The facilities for general repairing are excel- 
 
 267 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 lent, there being many competent ship carpenters, 
 sailmakers, and riggers. There is also a very good 
 machine shop and foundry. 
 
 Rock or sand ballast can be obtained for $1 
 per ton f.o.b. 
 
 There are many lighters, owned by various 
 companies, and the usual charge for a lighter of 
 10 to 15 tons capacity, without labor, is $5 per day. 
 
 There are many stevedores who are always 
 ready to make tenders or estimates for discharging 
 or loading vessels. 
 
 On account of the low rate of duty (6 per cent.) 
 ship's stores are obtainable at nearly the same 
 prices as in the United States. The principal im- 
 ports at St. Thomas are coal, fuel, oil, lumber, 
 and general provisions. The chief suppliers of 
 coal are the West Indian Company (Ltd.), the 
 St. Thomas Dock, Engineering & Coaling Com- 
 pany (Ltd.), and the Hamburg- American Line. 
 
 There are many large warehouses, both on 
 the wharves and in the town. At the present time 
 a warehouse in the town can be rented for $25 to 
 $50 monthly. This includes the store in front and 
 the private wharf in the rear. All warehouses run 
 from the principal street to the water, and the 
 268 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 rent varies with the size. They may be had from 
 about 100 to 400 feet long and with an average 
 width of 40 feet. 
 
 Water can be suppHed either at the docks or 
 from water boats in the harbor, from which it is 
 pumped into the ship's tanks. Rain water is used 
 exclusively, except by the West Indian Company 
 (Ltd.), which recently has drilled three wells, the 
 water from which will be pumped into storage 
 tanks at the dock. The price at present charged 
 for water is $1 per ton of 250 gallons (September, 
 1916). 
 
 The West Indian Company (Ltd.), a joint- 
 stock company with a capital of $1,680,000, with 
 domicile originally in Copenhagen, is the largest 
 concern dealing intimately with the affairs of St. 
 Thomas. Its new harbor works, coaling station, 
 and complements in Longbay promise to be, when 
 fully completed, the finest in the West Indies. 
 
 Formal announcement was made in the early 
 part of 1916 that the first large section of the com- 
 pany's extensive harbor works had been completed. 
 This covered the construction of new wharves to 
 the extent of 970 meters in length and the dredg- 
 ing of the water in Longbay Basin to a depth of 
 
 269 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 9.5 meters. The wharves are provided with all 
 modern conveniences for fastening a vessel 
 alongside. 
 
 Ports on St. Cboix and St. John 
 
 In Frederiksted, the port at which all boats 
 stop in St. Croix, there is no protected harbor. 
 The boats anchor about a half mile from shore in 
 the open roadstead, and freight is lightered each 
 way. Passengers are transferred by rowboat, 
 operated by natives. 
 
 The wharf is a substantial concrete structure 
 about 30 feet wide and extending 50 feet from 
 shore. At this distance out, the water has a depth 
 of some 12 feet. A hand-operated crane is con- 
 veniently mounted on the wharf and is capable 
 of lifting one ton. 
 
 Wharfage is charged at Frederiksted at the 
 following rates: Hogshead, 10 cents; tierce, 17 
 cents; barrel or bag, 4 cents; case, from 1 to 3 
 cents, according to size. The crane may be used 
 free of charge. 
 
 The harbor in Christiansted is well protected 
 from heavy seas, but the entrance is so filled with 
 coral reefs that the channel is tortuous and danger- 
 ous. The boats of the Quebec Steamship Com- 
 270 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 pany usually enter the harbor during the sugar- 
 shipping season, but they avoid it at other times. 
 Since most of the traffic between the islands is 
 carried on in small sloops, the harbor is adequate, 
 although if a portion of the reef were removed a 
 greater degree of safety would be assured them, 
 as well as larger boats. 
 
 The steamers entering Christiansted anchor 
 some distance out in the harbor, lightering all 
 freight. The sloops, however, can tie up to the 
 wharf, which is constructed along the same lines 
 as the one at Frederiksted and equipped with a 
 similar crane. 
 
 There are no wharfage dues at Christiansted, 
 but for the use of the crane there is a charge of two 
 cents a bag or barrel. 
 
 As the island of St. John has no commerce 
 except that which can be carried on in small sailing 
 boats, no harbors or ports have been built up 
 there. This is a thing which could be done with 
 great ease if commercial conditions warranted it, 
 as there are many natural harbors that have deep 
 water and are well protected from storms. In 
 this respect, St. John is perhaps better off than 
 
 either of the other islands. The most attractive 
 
 271 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 of these natural harbors is Coral Bay, which, 
 according to reliable authority, can be developed 
 into a harbor larger than St. Thomas and superior 
 to it in many respects. 
 
 The largest settlement on St. John is at Cruz 
 Bay, where there is a wharf about 12 feet wide 
 and 30 feet long. The water is 8 feet deep at the 
 wharf. The bay is situated in the part of the island 
 nearest to St. Thomas and would afford an excel- 
 lent harbor for small craft, which might ply be- 
 tween the islands if St. John should ever again 
 become as populous as it once was, or if it were 
 to be developed as a tourist resort, for which it is 
 so well suited. 
 
 Telegraph, Newspapers, and Telephone 
 
 St. Thomas is the headquarters of the West 
 India and Panama Telegraph Company (Ltd.), 
 whose duplicate cables cover all the West Indies 
 and the west coast of South America, and connect 
 at Jamaica with cables from Europe and the 
 United States. The cable rate between New York 
 and St. Thomas or St. Croix is 50 cents a word. 
 Between the two islands the rate is 4 cents a word. 
 All the outside news comes over these wires, and 
 272 
 
KUAI) IN FRONT OF CHRISTIAN'S FORT AND TYPICAL ST. THOMAS CAB 
 CHARLOTTE- AMALIA 
 
 Photograph by William T. Demarest 
 
 COLONIAL BANK AND MAIN STREET, CHARLOTTE-AMALIA, ST. THOMAS 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 the company receives approximately $4,000 yearly 
 for issuing a daily news bulletin both in St. Thomas 
 and St. Croix. This is copied in the papers, and 
 consequently the people are posted briefly regard- 
 ing world affairs as promptly as any metropolis. 
 
 In St. Thomas there are two newspapers which 
 are published daily except Sundays and holidays 
 and one which is published twice a week. The 
 latter, the " St. Thomas Tidende," is also the official 
 government organ or gazette. 
 
 In St. Croix there are three daily papers, Sun- 
 days and holidays excepted. One is published in 
 Frederiksted and two in Christiansted. All the 
 papers are nearly the same size, consisting of four 
 pages about 10 inches by 12. 
 
 The French Cable Company has a cable hut 
 on St. Thomas but does not give service there, as 
 the West India and Panama Telegraph Company 
 has the exclusive right in accordance with the 
 terms of its agreement with the government. 
 
 St. Thomas and St. Croix are provided with 
 ample telephone service. A private company 
 operates the system in St. Thomas, and the local 
 government operates the system in St. Croix. In 
 the latter island there are three central offices, 
 18 273 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 one at Frederiksted, one at Christiansted, and one 
 at Kings Hill, which is midway between the other 
 two and serves the sugar estates and the country 
 district in general. This system is in charge of 
 the building inspector at Christiansted. 
 
 There are no wireless stations on either of the 
 islands. 
 
 BUSINESS CONDITIONS 
 Banks and Banking 
 
 There are two banks in the Danish West 
 Indies — the National Bank and the St. Thomas 
 Savings Bank. Until very recently there was a 
 third — the Colonial Bank — a British banking 
 institution established in 1836. Owing principally 
 to the decline in business due to the effect of the 
 European war on the shipping in St. Thomas 
 Harbor, this branch of the Colonial Bank was 
 discontinued by the home office in London. 
 
 The National Bank of the Danish West Indies 
 is a strong institution with a main office at Char- 
 lotte-Amalia, on St. Thomas, and branches at 
 Frederiksted and Christiansted, on St. Croix. It 
 held from the Danish Government the sole right 
 to issue bank notes for use in the islands, notes 
 tothe value of $250,000 .00 being in circulation in 
 274 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 1916. A general commercial business is carried on, 
 and loans are made against mortgages on real 
 estate as security. The subscribed capital is 
 $1,000,000.00 and the reserve fund amounts to 
 $15,089.72. The bank has connections on the 
 Continent and in the United States and may be 
 utilized for collection purposes by American 
 manufacturers. 
 
 The St. Thomas Savings Bank received in 
 deposits during the year ending October 20, 1915, 
 the sum of $13,323.00. These comprised 1,133 
 accounts. The total number of accounts carried 
 
 by this bank in 1916 was 1,644. 
 
 *. 
 
 Insxtbancb 
 
 With one exception there are no agents of 
 American insurance companies or associations of 
 underwriters actively engaged in soliciting busi- 
 ness. The National Board of Marine Under- 
 writers of New York forms the exception, this 
 organization maintaining an office in St. Thomas. 
 In St. Thomas there are also agencies representing 
 British, Canadian, French, German, and Danish 
 companies. Only British, Canadian, and Danish 
 companies are established in St. Croix. Practically 
 all well-known forms of insurance — fire, life, marine, 
 
 275 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 damage to property, accident, cyclone, and tidal 
 wave — are written. St. John risks are covered by 
 agents in St. Thomas, no local offices being main- 
 tained in the former island. Approximately 
 $100,000 of life insurance is in force at present in 
 St. Croix, with a lesser amount in St. Thomas and 
 practically none in St. John. 
 
 In St. Croix, where the raising and grinding of 
 sugar-cane constitutes the principal business, a 
 great deal of fire insurance is placed on the build- 
 ings and property of the sugar estates. The 
 premium receipts collected from this source alone 
 by the largest insurance agent in the island 
 amounted to $6,000 for the six months ending 
 June 30, 1916. Since November, 1915, when a 
 strike of sugar-estate laborers took place, lasting 
 for several months, a certain amount of protection 
 against damage from riot and civil commotion has 
 been put on by estate owners. 
 
 Several years ago an American hfe-insurance 
 company established an office in St. Croix, but 
 withdrew shortly afterwards before much business 
 had been placed. With this exception no attempt 
 seems to have been made by American companies 
 to enter the life insurance field. No mortality 
 276 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 statistics are available. Sanitary conditions in 
 both St. Thomas and St. Croix are decidedly better 
 than those existing in many tropical countries. 
 Epidemics are practically unknown, although there 
 are no public sanitary works of any description. 
 
 It is believed that there is an opportunity for 
 at least one strong life-insurance company and at 
 least one strong fire-insurance company from the 
 United States to establish an agency at St. Thomas 
 and St. Croix, the latter offering the most attrac- 
 tive field at the present time. 
 
 Monopolistic Drug Stores 
 
 Some of the most curious facts connected with 
 business on the islands have to do with the phar- 
 macies. C. S. Butler and E. G. Hakansson write in 
 the United States Naval Bulletin: 
 
 "There are three grades of diplomas issued 
 from the Danish College of Pharmacy. Only 
 pharmacists rated one or two are qualified for 
 the privilege of running a drug store. The grade 
 of diploma, number of years of experience, pro- 
 fessional merits and scientific work done are the 
 main factors to determine a choice. The privilege 
 of having a drug store is granted for a lifetime to 
 
 the successful candidate. He pays no tax for this 
 
 277 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 monopoly and is independent of the Government 
 in his business. He may resign at any time, with 
 the permission of the authorities, and his successor, 
 appointed in a similar manner, is obliged to buy 
 his stock and place of business. This form of drug 
 store is called *real,' and is the only kind estab- 
 lished since 1830. Before this year the privilege 
 of leasing drug stores did not return to the Govern- 
 ment until the death or resignation of the appointee, 
 but the privilege was his personal right, which he 
 could sell at any time to any qualified pharmacist 
 for any price he could get. These drug stores are 
 called * personal' and were not changed to 'real* 
 when the new law went into eflFect. 
 
 "There are three drug stores in the Virgin 
 Islands, one in each of the three towns. The ones 
 in Charlotte- Amalia and Christiansted are *real;* 
 the one in Fredericksted is * personal.' The 
 history of Apothecary Hall, in St. Thomas, illus- 
 trates the system. It was established about 1830 
 and kept by the successful pharmacist until 1883, 
 when he transferred it to his two sons and retired, 
 spending the remainder of his days in a suburb of 
 Copenhagen, in his magnificent villa, * St. Thomas,' 
 entertaining royalty and nobility. His sons man- 
 278 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 aged the business up to 1913, when the present 
 owner bought it for $76,000." 
 
 CLIMATE AND RAINFALL 
 
 For the year ending June 30, 1915, the records 
 furnished in the annual report of Dr. Longfield 
 Smith, director of the colonial agricultural experi- 
 ment station in St. Croix, show that the coolest 
 weeks during the period were January 18 to 31, 
 with a maximum temperature of 83° F. and a 
 minimum of Q5° F., and March 8 to 14, maximum 
 82° F. and minimum 66° F. The hottest weeks 
 were August 31 to September 6, maximum 91° F., 
 minimum 76° F., and September 7 to 13, maximum 
 92° F., minimum 74° F. 
 
 No records of rainfall are available for any of 
 the islands except St. Croix. On that island, 
 according to the report of the experiment station, 
 the average rainfall for the previous 63 years was 
 375.1 lines (31.26 inches), and the records show 
 that there has been no diminution or alteration 
 of distribution during that period. The heaviest 
 rainfall occurs in May and again in September 
 and October. 
 
 There are periods when the rainfall is less than 
 a maximimi sugar crop requires and irrigation 
 
 279 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 would be desirable. Abundant opportunities exist 
 for the impounding of water for this purpose by 
 the construction of dams across the narrow en- 
 trances of some of the small valleys debouching 
 on the fertile plains of the south. The relatively 
 small expense involved would be well repaid by 
 the assurance of sufficient water during the occa- 
 sional dry periods and the resultant more uniform 
 yield of cane. 
 
 AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED INTERESTS 
 
 Sugab-Cane 
 
 The largest amount of sugar that has been 
 exported in the last 15 years was in 1903, when 
 19,275 short tons were taken from the islands. 
 The amount for 1915 was but 4,500 tons, though 
 in 1916 the total was much larger. 
 
 The director of the agricultural experiment 
 station has been endeavoring to develop a cane 
 that will be better suited to the soil and climatic 
 conditions than any of the varieties now being 
 grown. Much progress has been made in this direc- 
 tion, though it is too early yet to publish the results. 
 
 Cotton 
 
 In 1913 there were some 2,000 acres devoted 
 
 to sea-island cotton, but owing to the appearance 
 
 of insect pests in the fields, and more especially 
 280 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 to the various difficulties experienced as a result 
 of the European war, financial loss was threatened, 
 and since that year cotton raising has been tem- 
 porarily abandoned. That it will ultimately 
 become next in importance to cane, however, is 
 the belief of all who have been connected with 
 it in the past. 
 
 GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION 
 
 Under the rule of Denmark the executive 
 
 power was in the hands of a colonial governor 
 
 appointed by the Crown. The executive resided 
 
 on the island of St. Thomas for six months of the 
 
 year — from October 1 to March 31 — and in the 
 
 sister colony of St. Croix for the other six months. 
 
 The islands were divided into two political parts, 
 
 the first consisting of St. Thomas and St. John, 
 
 and the second of St. Croix. Legislative power 
 
 was vested in two distinct colonial councils, the 
 
 seat of one being in Christians ted, the capital of 
 
 St. Croix, and of the other in Charlotte-Amalia. 
 
 In the latter island the council was composed of 
 
 11 members — 4 nominated by the Crown and 
 
 7 elected, 4 from the town of Charlotte-Amalia, 
 
 2 from the island of St. John, and 1 from the 
 
 country district of St. Thomas. The colonial 
 
 281 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 council of St. Croix was made up of 18 members — 
 5 nominated by the Crown and 13 chosen by the 
 
 electorate. 
 
 The qualifications for voters were based on two 
 cardinal points: First, the applicant must own 
 real estate yielding a monthly income of $5, or 
 else his personal income must be $300 per year; 
 and, second, he must be of unblemished character. 
 
 The government revenues were raised largely 
 by import duties, export duties on sugar, trade 
 and lamp taxes, vehicle taxes, boat taxes, real 
 estate taxes, tonnage fees, and a head tax on all 
 persons leaving St. Thomas for other countries. 
 
 Education is compulsory from the ages of 7 to 
 13. Under the able supervision of the school 
 director, Mr. O. Rubner-Peterson, the school 
 system was gradually extended during the few 
 years before the transfer of the islands, new build- 
 ings opened, and new courses instituted. Instruc- 
 tion is free in all cases, and all but a few of the 
 textbooks are furnished by the government. 
 During the later years of instruction the aim is 
 to teach subjects of a decidedly practical nature. 
 Both EngHsh and Danish are taught, but the 
 latter has never been made compulsory, and the 
 282 
 
DETAILED INFORMATION 
 
 native preference for English has not been inter- 
 fered with. Except among oflScials and soldiers 
 and for street signs and notices, Danish is little 
 used. 
 
 In 1916, 3,500 pupils were enrolled in all grades. 
 Two sessions were held six days in the week, the 
 first session from 8 to 11 in the morning, the second 
 from 1 to 4 in the afternoon. The high-school 
 masters in St. Croix were Danes, the remainder 
 of the teachers in all three islands being natives 
 who have been given a course of training in Danish 
 at Copenhagen, or, in some cases, teachers obtained 
 from the neighboring British island of Antigua. 
 The salary of grammar-school teachers was $30 
 per month and that of high-school teachers was 
 $60 per month for 12 months in the year. Twenty 
 teachers made up the regular staff, and these met 
 different classes at the morning and afternoon 
 sessions. 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 The following works have been consulted by 
 the authors in the preparation of this volume: 
 
 Anonymous: "West Indian Sketch Book." London, 
 1834, 2 Vols. A sketchy and highly interesting nar- 
 rative of the life and customs of the British Virgin 
 Island of Tortola in the early nmeteenth century, 
 with a brief mention of some of the other Lesser 
 
 Antilles. 
 
 Aspinall, Algernon E.: "Pocket Guide to the West 
 Indies." London, 1914. A general guide to the West 
 Indies which at times is very inaccurate. 
 
 Booy, Theodoor de: "Archaeological Investigations in 
 the Virgin Islands." Scientific American Supplement 
 No. 2180, October 13, 1917. Tells of the problems 
 of the archeologist in search of Indian remains on 
 the Virgin Islands of the United States. 
 
 Booy, Theodoor de: "The Virgin Islands of the United 
 States." Geographical Review, Vol. iv, No. 5, 
 November, 1917. A general account of the newly 
 acquired Virgin Islands of the United States. 
 
 Brock, H. G., P. S. Smith, W. A. Tucker: "The Danish 
 West Indies, Their Resources and Commercial Im- 
 284 \ 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 portance." Department of Commerce of the United 
 States, Special Agents Series, No. 129. Washington, 
 D. C, 1917. Contains valuable information as to 
 the resources and trade possibilities of these islands 
 and a good description of the harbor. 
 
 Butler, C. S. and E. G. Hakansson: "Some First Im- 
 pressions of the West Indies." The United States 
 Medical Bulletin, October, 1917. An informing article, 
 written from the medical point of view. 
 
 Cleland, Herdman F.: "CuraQao, a Losing Colonial 
 Venture." Bulletin of the American Geographical 
 Society, Vol. xli. No. 3, 1909. A description of the 
 island of Curagao with figures showing the cost of 
 this colony to the Netherlands. 
 
 Dupontes, P. C. : " Les Petites Antilles." Paris (N. D.) . 
 A book containing general geographical and political 
 information of the Lesser Antilles with data pertain- 
 ing to their resources, imports, exports, et cetera. 
 
 Edwards, Bryan : "History of the British West Indies," 
 fourth edition, London, 1807. 3 Vols. An oft-con- 
 sulted history of the West Indies and of the Island 
 of Santo Domingo. 
 
 Emerson, Guy: "Virgin Islands of the United States." 
 South American, Vol. v. No. 8, New York, June, 
 1917. Contains economic information on the Virgin 
 Islands. 
 
 Hakluyt, Richard: "Historic of the West Indies." 
 
 285 
 
THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
 
 London 1625. Of prime interest to the historical 
 student of the Antilles. 
 
 Harris, Garrard: "The West Indies as an Export 
 Field." Department of Commerce of United States, 
 Special Agents Series, No. 141, Washington, D. C., 
 1917. A compilation of trade figures on the West 
 Indies. 
 
 Irving, Washington: "Life and Voyages of Christopher 
 Columbus." The best general work on the discovery 
 and conquest of the West Indies. 
 
 Knox, John P.: "Historical Account of St. Thomas, 
 W. I." New York, 1852. Probably the most com- 
 plete general description of St. Thomas published. 
 
 Martyr, Peter: "Letters to Ascanius Sphorcia." Early 
 narratives of the newly discovered West Indies. 
 
 National Geographical Society: "An American Gibral- 
 tar." National Geographic Magazine, Vol. xxx. 
 No. 1. Gives measurements of the Virgin Islands of 
 the United States. 
 
 Taylor, C. E. : " Leaflets from the Danish West Indies." 
 London, 1888. An interesting guide and hand-book 
 of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. 
 
 Vaux, Patrick: "A Forgotten West Indian Island." 
 United Empire, Vol. viii, N. S. February, 1917. 
 One of the few descriptions that can be found of the 
 Island of Anegada. 
 
 Verrill, A. Hyatt: "A Book of the West Indies." 
 286 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 New York, 1917. A valuable and well-written guide- 
 book of the West Indies. 
 
 Westergaard, Waldemar: "The Danish West Indies 
 Under Company Rule." New York, 1917. The only 
 scholarly work which goes into the history of these 
 islands during the period from 1671 up to 1764 in 
 full detail. 
 
 U. S. Hydrographic Office: "West India Pilot," Vol. 
 ii, No. 129. Washington, D. C, 1914. A guide to 
 mariners, which contains a great deal of geographical 
 information. 
 
INDEX 
 
 Aborigines, 34, 152 
 
 Amiens, treaty of, restores Virgia 
 
 Islands to Denmark, 45 
 Anegada, 242, 244 
 Annaberg, 168 
 Arawak tribes, 36 
 Archeological investigations, 34-36, 
 
 102-107, 152, 153, 154, 163, 225- 
 
 230, 244 
 Audain, the story of, 239 
 Ayay, Indian name for Santa Cruz, 
 
 37 
 
 Banks and Banking, 274, 275 
 Bassin (Christiansted), St. Croix,214 
 Bay rum, 145, 148, 149 
 Blackbeard's Castle, 82 
 Bluebeard's Castle, 59, 86 
 Bourdeaux Mountain, 135 
 Botany Bay, St. Thomas, 121 
 Brandenburg, Duchy of, operates 
 
 factory on St. Thomas, 51, 52 
 Bredal, Governor Erik, 124, 125 
 Brewer's Bay, St. Thomas, 121 
 British Virgin Islands, history, 231 ; 
 area and population, 233; climate, 
 233; Jost Van Dyke, 234; trade. 
 233; Tortola, 234; geology, 235; 
 products, 235; coconut groves, 
 236; Road Harbor, 236; Road- 
 town, 237; communication with 
 Charlotte- Amalia, 237; excursions 
 on Tortola, 239-240 ; Virgin Gorda, 
 240; Anegada, 242 
 Broom-corn, opportunity for, 146 
 Brun, Minister, signa transfer of 
 
 Danish West Indies, 24 
 Buccaneers, 59, 83-86, 231, 237, 244 
 Buck Island Lighthouse, 58 
 Biilowminde, St. Croix, 24 
 Burials, Indian, 105, 106 
 
 Cable, submarine, 97, 119, 272 
 
 Camel Mountain, 135 
 
 "Caneelboom," 137 
 
 Caroline Estate, St. John, 129, 133 
 
 Cattle raising, 150 
 
 Cemeteries, care of, 116 
 
 Charles V of Spain, 42 
 
 Charlotte- Amalia approach to, 58; 
 signal station, 60; servants, 71; 
 population, 71; Moravian Church, 
 77; Lutherian Church, 77; Dutch 
 Reformed Church, 78; Huguenot 
 Church, 79; Jewish Church, 79; 
 Roman Catholic Church, 79; 
 schools, 79; streets, 80; govern- 
 ment oflSces, 82; Christian's Fort, 
 85; Saluting Battery, 89; Christ- 
 mas and New Year's Day, 92, 93; 
 steamship lines, 94; docks, 95; 
 telegraph and cable, 96; hotels, 
 252, 253; cooking, 253 
 
 Christian IX, King, Proclamation 
 announcing failure of treaty of 
 1867, 20-22 
 
 Christiansted, St. Croix, 211; Sophia 
 Frederika Fort, 215; dangerous 
 navigation, 45 
 
 Churches in Charlotte-Amalia, 77-79 
 
 Citizenship, provision as to, for 
 inhabitants of former Danish West 
 Indies, 27 
 
 Climate, 62, 278, 279 
 
 Coconut groves, 236 
 
 Collarstones, 35 
 
 Columbus, Christopher, 34, 37-40, 
 226 
 
 Conch shells as grave ornaments, 
 117 
 
 Congo Cay as a fisherman's resort, 
 152 
 
 Cooking, native, 253 
 
 289 
 
INDEX 
 
 Coral Harbor Bay, St. John, 124 
 
 Coral Bay, St. John, 128, 130-132, 
 136, 138, 139, 166 
 
 Cotton, 209, 280 
 
 Crab Island, 50, 124 
 
 Cruger, Nicholas, employer of Alex- 
 ander Hamilton, 204, 219 
 
 Cruz Bay, St. John, 137, 141 
 
 Cuba. 16, 22 
 
 Curagao and the Panama Canal, 
 32 
 
 Danish West Indies, history of trans- 
 fer, 16; date of transfer, 16, 24; 
 treaty of 1867 for sale of, 17; 
 proclamation of sale of in 1867, 
 17-19; lapse of treaty of 1867, 20; 
 Germany and, 23; treaty of 1902, 
 23; offer of 1906 for, 23; vote of 
 inhabitants, 24; ceremony of 
 transfer, 24 
 
 Danish West India and Guinea 
 Company, purchase St. Croix, 44; 
 claim St. Thomas, 47; supply 
 slaves to St. Thomas, 51 
 
 Danish West India Company, 51, 
 133, 184, 187, 189 
 
 Dannebrog, replaced by Stars and 
 Stripes, 24-26 
 
 Denmark takes possession of St. 
 Crok, 186 
 
 De Vaugalan, Commander of French 
 expedition to St. Croix, 178 
 
 Docks at Charlotte-Amalia, 95 
 
 Drake, Sir Francis. 43 
 
 "Drowned Island" (Anegada), 243 
 
 Drug stores, 277 
 
 Duerloo, Peter, 129 
 
 Duerloo Estate, St. John, 129 
 
 Earthquake, 69, 206 
 
 East End settlement, 167 
 
 Education, 281-283 
 
 Eleven thousand Virgins, 40 
 
 Emancipation of slaves in West 
 Indies, 45, 191 
 
 Emmaus, Moravian Mission Sta- 
 tion, 142, 166 
 
 Excursions on St. Thomas, 98 
 
 290 
 
 Figure-heads at Krum Bay, 120 
 Fire in a cane field, 197. 222 
 Fishing. Ill, 150, 151. 159 
 Flanagan Passage, 233 
 Frederiksted, 211 
 French West India Company, 183 
 Furniture, antique, 82. 168, 170, 220 
 
 "Garden of the Antilles," 231 
 
 Government, 281 
 
 "Graveyard of ships," 119 
 
 Great Britain in the West Indies, 30 
 
 Guadaloupe, 176 
 
 Guantanamo, Cuba. 32 
 
 Hamilton, Alexander. 204, 218 
 Hans Lollik, 237 
 Hassel Island, 60. 61, 64 
 Havensicht, on St. Croix, 224 
 Heligoland, exchanged for Virgin 
 
 Islands. 85 
 Hotel opportunities, 158, 171, 253, 
 
 254 
 Hunting, 112, 159. 224, 239 
 Hurricanes, 61, 65-68. 115, 138, 141, 
 
 161, 168, 204, 206, 218 
 
 Imports, 256-261 
 
 Insurance, 275, 276 
 
 Irving, Washington, quotation from, 
 
 37 
 Iversen, Jorgen. Governor of St. 
 
 Thomas, 48, 49, 50 
 
 Jamaica, 31, 35, 36 
 
 K. C. Bay, 137, 170 
 Kitchen-middens, 104 
 Krum Bay, 107, 118, 119 
 
 Labor difficulties on St. Croix. 190- 
 
 199 
 Labor Union at Charlotte-Amalia, 
 
 72; on St. Crok, 197 
 Lansing, Secretary of State, signs 
 
 transfer of Danish West Indies, 
 
 24; reports on islands, 28 
 
INDEX 
 
 Leinster Bay, 168 
 
 Leeward Islands, 123, 237 
 
 Little Cinnamon Bay, St. John, 129, 
 
 130 
 Lovango Cay, 134 
 Lutheran pastor resides in fort, 49 
 Lutheran, the official Church of the 
 
 Danish Government, 77 
 
 Magens Bay, 101, 102, 103, 104, 106 
 Mahogany furniture, 82, 168, 170, 
 
 221 
 Malta, Knights of, buy St. Croix, 
 
 181, 182 
 Manchineel apples, 173, 174 
 Masonic Lodge, 138, 168 
 Martinique, 131 
 
 Monopolistic drug store, 277, 278 
 Monroe Doctrine and the transfer 
 
 of Danish West Indies, 25 
 Moravians, 77, 117, 141, 146, 166 
 Museum of the American Indians, 
 
 34, 36, 42, 101, 227 
 
 Narrows, the, 134 
 Naval base in the West Indies, 32 
 Navigation, dangerous, 134 
 Negro insurrection, 127, 194, 232 
 Netherlands, possessions of, in West 
 
 Indies, 30, 31, 32, 33 
 Nevis, 131 
 Newspapers, 75, 273 
 Niesky Mission Station, 117 
 None-such ("Vigilant"), story of, 216 
 
 Oldendorp and the aboriginies of 
 
 Virgin Islands, 41 
 Oliver, Rear Admiral James H., first 
 
 governor of the Virgin Islands, 29 
 Oysters, growing in trees, 226 
 
 Panama Canal, safeguarding the, 32, 
 
 33 
 Parforce Estate, 165 
 Petroglypha, 153-156, 162-165 
 Pirates, 39, 86, 239 
 Porto Rico, 26, 28, 35, 106, 122, 172, 
 
 182; journey to St. Thomas from, 
 
 54 
 
 Pottery, pre-Columbian, 36 
 Primitive races of the Virgin Islands, 
 
 35 
 Primitive sugar mill, 157 
 Privateer Bay, 138 
 Privateers, 141, 217, 237 
 
 Rainfall, 63, 141, 202, 279 
 Raleigh, Su- Walter, 173 
 Reconciling Court, 76 
 Reef Bay, 140, 160 
 Roadtown, Tortola, 237 
 Roosevelt, President, and treaty of 
 1902, 23 
 
 Sail Rock and the French frigate, 55 
 
 St. Croix, sentiment as to transfer, 
 26; aboriginies, 34; purchase by 
 Dutch West India and Guinea 
 Co., 44; opened to commerce, 44 
 colonization, 44; history, 172-189 
 came into possession of Denmark, 
 186; slave revolutions, 194-197 
 labor union, 197; location, 201 
 physical features, 201; rainfall 
 202; geology, 202; climate, 203 
 hurricanes, 204-206; earthquake; 
 206; agriculture, 207; sugar mills 
 208; cotton, 209; Christiansted, 
 211; Frederiksted, 211; roads, 221 
 hunting, 224; "Garden of the 
 Antilles," 231; forts, 270 
 
 St. Christopher, 176, 177 
 
 St. Eustatius, 177 
 
 St. John, aborigines, 35; trade, 44; 
 colonization, 44; Caroline Estate, 
 129, 133; Little Cinnamon Bay, 
 129, 130; slave revolt, 127-133; 
 Coral Bay, 128, 130, 131, 138; 
 Duerloo Estate, 129; dangerous 
 navigation, 134; location, 134; 
 geology, 135; drainage, 135; Camel 
 Mountain, 135; area, 135; ship- 
 ping, 136; Cruz Bay, 137, 146; 
 K. C. Bay, 137; Cinnamon Bay, 
 137; Dennis Bay, 138; East End 
 settlement, 138, 167; Privateer 
 Bay, 139; Masonic Lodge, 138, 
 168; Reef Bay, 140, 160, 165; 
 
 S91 
 
INDEX 
 
 temperature, 141; rainfall, 141; 
 health conditions, 142; popula- 
 tion, 144; bay rum, 145; charcoal, 
 147, 148, 149; fishing, 150-152; 
 petroglyphs, 163, 162; sugar, 157; 
 possibilities, 158, 171; Reef Bay 
 waterfall, 161; Annaberg, 168; 
 Leinster Bay, 168; sugar factory, 
 ruins, 170; forts, 271 
 
 St. Martins, 177 
 
 St. Thomas, sentiment as to trans- 
 fer, 26; aborigines, 35; trade, 44, 
 97; first Europeans, 44, 47; first 
 colonists, 48; Charlotte- Amalia, 
 49; location, 53, 54; physical 
 features, 55; area, 56; harbor, 67; 
 Cowell's Battery, 59, 60; climate, 
 62; newspapers, 74; courts, 76; 
 characteristics of people, 76; 
 Moravian Brethren, 77; churches, 
 77-79; Blackbeard's Castle, 82, 
 108, 109, 110; Bluebeard's Castle, 
 87; Ma Folic Estate, 99; excur- 
 sions on, 98; Magens Bay, 101, 
 102, 103, 104, 106; "Eenigheit," 
 107; Krum Bay, 107, 118, 119; 
 New Hemhut Mission, 108-110; 
 Tutu Estate, 110; Water Bay, 111 ; 
 Windberg, 114; Mandal Estate, 
 115; graveyard, 117; Lovenlimd, 
 116; Niesky Mission station, 117; 
 submarine cable, 118; the "grave- 
 yard of ships," 119; figure-heads at 
 Krum Bay, 120; Mosquito Bay, 
 121; Brewer's Bay, 121; Botany 
 Bay, 121; "cha-chas," 122; settle- 
 ment, 124; ports, 267 
 
 San Juan, Porto Rico, 74 
 
 Santa Anna, General, 82 
 
 Santo Domingo, 35, 107 
 
 Schmidt, Erik, 47 
 
 Seward, Secretary of State, 16, 20 
 
 Siamese man of war, greeting to, 60 
 
 Signal Station at Charlotte-Amalia, 
 60 
 
 Slavery, 45, 62, 115, 122, 127-133, 
 169, 190-194 
 
 Smugglers, 169 
 
 Sophia Frederika Fort, Christian- 
 sted, 45 
 
 292 
 
 Stevedores at Charlotte-Amalia, 72 
 
 Steamship lines touching at Char- 
 lotte-Amalia, 95 
 
 Stars and Stripes replace Danne- 
 brog, 24, 25 
 
 Sugar-cane, 53, 109, 146, 207, 208, 
 238, 281; watch houses, 222; fire in 
 a cane field, 222; production, 280 
 
 Sumner, Charles, defends treaty of 
 1867, 20 
 
 Swallowing stick, 35 
 
 Tariff, 267 
 
 Tappus (early name of Charlotte- 
 Amalia), 70 
 
 Teach, John (Blackbeard), 82 
 
 Telephone, 273 
 
 Telegraph and cable, 96, 272 
 
 Thatch Cay, 113, 135, 168 
 
 Thormohlen, rents St. Thomas from 
 Denmark, 62 
 
 Tobacco on St. Thomas, 50 
 
 Tortola, 124, 130, 133, 140, 169, 187, 
 234, 237 
 
 Tourist, hints for the, 247; clothing, 
 247-249; transportation, 249-252; 
 invalid resorts, 252 
 
 Trade of St. Thomas, 97 
 
 Transportation between the islands, 
 28, 252; to the islands, 249-252 
 
 Turpentine tree, 115 
 
 Van Dyke, Jost, 234 
 
 Venezuela's islands in the West 
 Indies, 15 
 
 "Vigilant," story of the, 217 
 
 Virgin Gorda, 40, 240, 241 
 
 Virgin Islands, area and population, 
 27; commercial value of, 28; 
 temporary government, 29; cus- 
 toms, 30; history, 34; named by 
 Columbus, 40; captured by Brit- 
 ish, 46 
 
 Virgin Passage, 33 
 
 Watch houses in cane fields, 222 
 Windward Passage, 32 
 
 Yachting, 239 
 
 
5/nc^, 
 
 ■€f^ 
 
 1959