Our friends were favored with pleasant weather on their voyage from
Porto Rico to Cuba. All were gathered upon deck when they came in sight
of "The Pearl (or Queen) of the Antillies," "The Ever-faithful Isle,"
as the Spaniards were wont to call it, and they gazed upon it with keen
interest; an interest that deepened as they drew near the scene of
Schley's victory over the Spanish fleet.
Captain Raymond and Dr. Harold Travilla, being the only ones of their
number who had visited the locality before, explained the whereabouts
of each American vessel, when, on that Sunday morning of July third,
that cloud of smoke told the watchers on the American ships that the
enemy was coming out.
Every one in the little company had heard the battle described;
therefore, a very brief account, accompanying the pointing out of the
progress of different vessels during the fight, and where each of the
Spanish ones came to her end, was all that was needed.
While they looked and talked, the "Dolphin" moved slowly along that
they might get a view of every part of the scene of action on that day
of naval victory in the cause of the down-trodden and oppressed Cubans.
That accomplished, they returned to the neighborhood of Santiago, and
entering the narrow channel which gives entrance to its bay, passed on
into and around that, gazing on the steep hills that come down to the
water's edge, on Morro and the remains of earthworks and batteries.
They did not care to go into the city, but steamed out into the sea
again and made the circuit of the island, keeping near enough to the
shore to get a pretty good view of most of the places they cared to
see--traveling by day and anchoring at night.
"Having completed the circuit of Cuba, where do we go next, Captain?"
asked Mr. Dinsmore, as the party sat on deck in the evening of the day
on which they had completed their trip around the island.
"If it suits the wishes of all my passengers, we will go down to
Jamaica, pay a little visit there, pass on in a southeasterly direction
to Trinidad, then perhaps to Brazil," Captain Raymond said, in reply,
then asked to hear what each one present thought of the plan.
Every one seemed well pleased, and it was decided that they should
start the next morning for Jamaica. The vessel was moving the next
morning before many of her passengers were out of their berths. Elsie
Raymond noticed it as soon as she woke, and hastened with her toilet
that she might join her father on deck. She was always glad to be
with him, and she wanted to see whatever they might pass on their way
across the sea to Jamaica. The sun was shining, but it was still early
when she reached the deck, where she found both her father and eldest
sister. Both greeted her with smiles and caresses.
"Almost as early a bird as your sister Lu," the Captain said, patting
the rosy cheek and smiling down into the bright eyes looking up so
lovingly into his.
"Yes, papa, I want to see all I can on the way to Jamaica. Will we get
there to-day?"
"I think we will if the 'Dolphin' does her work according to her usual
fashion. But what do you know about Jamaica, the island we are bound
for?"
"Not so very much, papa--only--she belongs to England, doesn't she,
papa?"
"Yes. Her name means 'land of wood and water,' and she lies about
ninety miles to the south of Cuba."
"Is she a very big island, papa?"
"Nearly as large as our State of Tennessee. Crossing it from east to
west is a heavily-timbered ridge called the Blue Mountains, and there
are many streams of water which flow from them down to the shores. None
of them is navigable, however, except the Black River, which affords a
passage for small craft for thirty miles into the interior."
"Shall we find a good harbor for our 'Dolphin,' father?" asked Lucilla.
"Yes, indeed! Excellent harbors are everywhere to be found. The best
is a deep, capacious basin in the southeast quarter of the island. It
washes the most spacious and fertile of the plains between the hill
country and the coast. Around this inlet and within a few miles of each
other are all the towns of any considerable size--Spanish Town, Port
Royal, and Kingston."
"Is it a very hot place, papa?" asked the little girl.
"On the coast; but much cooler up on those mountains I spoke of. The
climate is said to be very healthful, and many invalids go there from
our United States."
"They have earthquakes there sometimes, have they not, father?" asked
Lucilla.
"They are not quite unheard of," he replied; "in 1692 there was one
which almost overwhelmed Port Royal; but that being more than two
hundred years ago, need not, I think, add much to our anxieties in
visiting the island."
"That's a long, long time," said Elsie, thoughtfully, "so I hope they
won't have one while we are there. Is it a fertile island, papa? I hope
they have plenty of good fruits."
"They have fruits of both tropical and temperate climates; they have
spices, vanilla and many kinds of food plants; they have sugar and
coffee; they export sugar, rum, pineapples and other fruits; also
cocoa, ginger, pimento and logwood and cochineal."
"It does seem to be very fruitful," said Elsie. "Have they railroads
and telegraphs, papa?"
"Two hundred miles of railroad and seven hundred of telegraph. There
are coast batteries, a volunteer force and a British garrison; and
there are churches and schools."
"Oh, all that seems very nice! I hope we will have as good a time there
as we had at Bermuda."
"I hope so, daughter," he said. "Ah, here come the rest of our little
family and your Uncle Harold."
Affectionate good-mornings were exchanged; then the talk ran on the
subject uppermost in all their minds--Jamaica, and what its attractions
were likely to be for them.
"I have been thinking," said Harold, "that some spot on the central
heights may prove a pleasant and beneficial place for some weeks'
sojourn for all of us, the ailing ones in particular."
At that moment his mother joined them and he broached the same idea to
her.
"If we find a pleasant and comfortable lodging place I am willing to
try it," she replied, in her usual cheery tones.
At that moment came the call to breakfast; speedily responded to by all
the passengers. Appetites and viands were alike good and the chat was
cheerful and lively.
The weather was clear and warm enough to make the deck, where a gentle
breeze could be felt, the most agreeable lounging-place, as well as the
best, for enjoying the view of the sea and any passing vessel.
As usual, the children presently found their way to their Grandma
Elsie's side and asked for a story or some information concerning the
island toward which they were journeying.
"You know something about it, I suppose?" she said, inquiringly.
"Yes, ma'am; papa was telling me this morning about the mountains and
towns, and harbors, and fruits and other things that they raise," said
Elsie; "but there wasn't time for him to tell everything; so won't you
please tell us something of its history?"
"Yes, dear; grandma is always glad to give you both pleasure and
information. Jamaica was discovered by Columbus during his second
voyage, in 1494. The Spaniards took possession of it in 1509."
"Had they any right to, grandma?" asked Ned.
"No, no more than the Indians would have had to cross the ocean to
Europe and take possession of their country. And the Spaniards not
only robbed the Indians of their lands but abused them so cruelly that
it is said that in fifty years the native population had entirely
disappeared. In 1655 the British took the island from Spain, and some
years later it was ceded to England by the treaty of Madrid in 1670."
"And does England own it yet, grandma?" asked Elsie.
"Yes; there has been some fighting on the island--trouble between the
whites and the negroes--but things are going smoothly now."
"So that we may hope to have a good time there, I suppose," said Ned.
"Yes, I think we may," replied his grandma. "But haven't we had a good
time in all our journeying about old ocean and her islands?"
To that question both children answered with a hearty, "Yes indeed,
grandma."