WBH
N/VT85
 1839
 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
^ •   .
FOUNDED  1836
WASHINGTON,  D. C.
GPO  16—67244-1 
 
 
             y
         A  WINTER
              IN  THE
WEST INDIES  AND FLORIDA;
              CONTAINING
        GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
 UPON MODES OF TRAVELLING, MANNERS AND CUSTOMS,
         CLIMATES AND PRODUCTIONS,
    WITH A PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF
ST. CROIX, TRINIDAD DE CUBA, HAVANA,
   KEY WEST, AND ST. AWUSTINE,
AS PLACES OF RESORT FOR NORTHERN INVALIDS.
       NEW-YORK :
PUBLISHED BY WILEY AND PUTNAM,
        161 Broadway.
         18 39. 
                   \NBti
                  \rJ7SS



  Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1839, by
               WILEY  & PUTNAM,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of
                    New-York.
J. P. Wright, Printer, 13 New Street, N. Y. 
INDEX.
Preface.      ......
Chapter I. Of Climate in general.
------- II. Author's Own Case.   .     .
------- III.  The Voyage.
------- IV. Bassin, or Christianstadt, St. Croix
------ V. West End, or Frederickstadt.
------- VI. Santa Cruz in general.     ,
-       VII. Voyage to Trinidad de Cuba
------- VIII. Trinidad de Cuba.  .
------- IX. Voyage to Batabanno and Havana
       ■ X. Havana*    ....
------- XI. Key West.....
------- XII. Voyage to St. Augustine.  .
-------XIII. St. Augustine.
------- XIV. Return Home. .
------- XV. General Observations upon  the
          Indies and Florida.
-------XVI. Preparations for going South.
West 
 
PREFACE.
The great and constantly increasing number of
pulmonary  complaints in the United States, is
happily beginning to excite the attention which
the importance  of the subject demands.   The
bills of mortality abundantly prove, that  about
one-fourth of the deaths in these States is caused
by diseases of the lungs, in  one shape or  other,
and the fairest and the best  of the youth of our
land are every day cut down around us, in the
full flush of youthful  hopes  and ardent antici-
pations ;  discouraged by the almost  equally
unsuccessful application of patent  quack-nos-
trums  and scientific  medical skill,  the friends
and relatives of these  unfortunate victims of
premature  decline,, have generally  abandoned
all hope of relief from the  earliest appearance
of  this terrible disease ; and, in many  cases,
they have  been left to pine  away by its slow
and sure operation, with the consoling reflection
that they were past all hope, and had nothing to 
VI
PREFACE.
do but wait patiently for death to end their mis-
cries.  For a time, it  was supposed that much
might be hoped from a winter residence in the
southern States ; and many a poor patient has
been sent  to  Charleston or Savannah, St. Au-
gustine or Pensacola, Mobile or New-Orleans,
or some other equally unfit and improper place,
to add to his other afflictions, that of dying in a
strange land, without the consolation  of  his
friends to  stand around him in his last moments,
or shed a tear over his untimely grave.   So lit-
tle benefit was found to result from a visit to the
southern States, that many came to the conclu-
tion that no change of climate could be of any
avail, and refused to  separate  themselves from
their friends in their days  of desolation and de-
spair : choosing, rather,, to meet their unhappy
fate at home, than to try so forlorn a hope as
that afforded  by going south.  The enterprise
of our people had found  out every nook and
corner of every State in the Union  where money
could be made, and well ascertained the nature
of the trade and commerce of every place; but,
upon the nice and important question of the  fit-
ness of a climate  for invalids, very little know-
ledge was obtained, partly because  the attention
of the healthy was never  turned to the subject,
but more because no healthy man can be a com. 
PREFACE.
Vll
petent judge of such matters; and invalids were
unable to make the proper investigations, or to
publish them when made.   It is only within the
last few years, that the idea has become preva-
lent, even among physicians, that  the  southern
States of this  Union are the most unfit place on
earth for  invalids,  and that the  whole winter
season there, is not unlike  November and April
in the north, which every-body knows, or ought
to know, are the worst months in the year.
   So great  is the ignorance upon this subject,
that it is believed more than five  hundred from
the northern and middle States  are sent  on a
useless pilgrimage annually: the same patient
scarcely  ever going  more  than  once, having
learned  by  experience  that it  was  merely
changing  from  bad to worse.  Within  a few
years past, many eminent physicians have been
urging their patients to go  to the West Indies,
and many have pursued the advice with decided
advantage ;  but the unwillingness of Americans
to leave their own country, connected  with
their ignorance of the West India climate, have
deterred thousands from going there who  would
otherwise have gone, with the certainty of bene-
fit, if not of perfect restoration to health.
   The author of this little volume, after having
suffered the  effects of northern winters  for seve- 
Viii               PREFACE.

ral years, and having tried the southern States
with no advantage, was induced, by the strong
recommendation  of  his  physician, and the in-
creased severity of his disease, in the early part
of the winter  of  1838-39, to visit the island of
St. Croix, which was supposed to be the best of
the West Indies for climate, partly, perhap?, for
want  of sufficient  acquaintance  with  other
places.  After spending several weeks at St.
Croix, and being greatly improved in health, for
the  purpose of being  able to judge for himself
between  different places of  resort,  he visited
Trinidad de Cuba ; passed from thence, through
the  island of Cuba, to  Havana ; from thence
to  Key  West, the only tolerable place in the
United States ; and  from thence to St. Augus-
tine ;  stopping long  enough  at  each place to
form an  accurate conclusion, and,  in the mean
time, collecting all the information he could as
to other places.  The information thus obtained
is so useful to himself, that he deems  it his duty
to  publish it for  the benefit of the community;
and, to  insure the attention  which the import-
ance of the subject demands, it has been thought
better to make a small volume by itself, than to
 put it in any public journal, which  would be
 merely read,  thrown aside, and forgotten.  In
 order to enable the reader to judge for himself, 
PREFACE.
ix
it has been  thought proper to give him  an ac-
count of the author's own case, and some others
that fell under his immediate  observation;  a
detailed description of the situation, climate,
and other material circumstances of St.  Croix;
the same  as to Trinidad de Cuba, Havana, Key
West, and  St. Augustine;  with  observations
upon other places, and the  reasons  of  the
healthiness or  unhealthiness of each particular
place.  The invalid, knowing  his own symp-
toms, will then be able to decide at once which
is the best  place for  himself,  and act  accord-
ingly.  By  possessing the information  herein
contained, before leaving home, the author could
have saved himself at least three hundred  dol-
lars in expenses, besides adding greatly to his
comforts,  during a single winter.   He  cannot
doubt, therefore, that  the  work will prove ac-
ceptable to the public, particularly to that un-
fortunate class for whose benefit it  is princi-
pally intended.  They will get here the dispas-
sionate judgment of one who had no interest  to
lead  him to prefer one place  to another, and
who  has  been willing to give as well the unfa-
vourable  as the  favourable  circumstances  of
each particular  place.
   The following chapters contain a very concise
 statement of the results of my  observation, and 
X
PREFACE.
information, during my  tour;  and, so  far as
regards the principal question that concerns in-
valids, desiring to visit  the West Indies, or either
of the other places therein mentioned,—to wit,
the salubrity of different climates, and accom-
modations for invalids,—may be relied upon, as
in all respects correct.  As regards the matters
of general information, and interest, not having
the time nor  feeling the disposition to acquire
very precise intelligence, and without  pretend-
ing to look into books  for aid, I have merely in-
terspersed the work with such matters as fur-
nished the principal topics of conversation, at
the places through which I passed, and, there-
fore, am unable  to vouch for  their accuracy in
every particular ;  but,  believing that they would
relieve the reader  from the monotonous tone of
mere descriptions  of climates, &c. &c, I have
given them according  to my  best  information;
and I have generally distinguished between mat.
ters within my  own knowledge, and those  de-
rived  from others.  I might have gone into
detail,  and made a larger volume; but, as my
object is not to make others read, but to convey
useful  intelligence,  conciseness  has been my
principal aim; and, it is  humbly hoped, that the
reader will not deem the brevity of the work a
demerit.  I might,  by bestowing a little  more 
PREFACE.                 Xl
attention  upon  the  subject, have  swelled  the
work, by giving  a more scientific and historical
account of the places before-mentioned, but am
very far from aspiring  to the reputation  of an
erudite author,  or  from claiming  any literary
merit for this production.  Knowing that thou-
sands  were in  want of the information herein
contained, and that, from peculiar sensitiveness,
and attentive observation, I  have been enabled
to judge of all the places in  question with great
accuracy, and to present at  one view more use-
ful  knowledge upon the subject,  than  has ever
before been  published, I have  been induced to
write, and offer to the public, this little volume,
hoping that it may be instrumental  in  restoring
to health, those  who are unfortunately afflicted
with complaints similar to  my  own ;  may, in
some degree, aid physicians, in  advising their
patients what place to prefer for their particu-
lar complaints;  and, on the whole, may prove
interesting and  acceptable  to the general read.
er.   If these  expectations are realized, I shall
be. amply satisfied ; if not, it will not be the first
well intended effort that has failed of accom-
plishing its object. 
 
            A WINTER

                  IN THE

WEST INDIES AND  FLORIDA.
              CHAPTER I.
            Of Climate in General.

Nothing is  more talked of or less under-
stood than the healthiness of climates. When-
ever it  becomes difficult to remove disease,
and the  friends of the patient become alarmed,
or the physician gets sick of experiments, a
change  of climate  is resorted to,  as a kind
of patent panacea for all maladies ; by means
whereof the patient, if not helped in any other
way, is  at least helped out  of the way of his
friends and physician.  In cities  they are sent
to the country;  in the country, to the city;
inland, they are sent to the sea-shore ; on the
coast, to the interior; from the mountains to
the plains, and from the plains to  the moun-
             2 
14         A  WINTER IN THE

tains ; from warm weather to cold, and from
cold to warm; from dry to moist, and from
moist to dry: in short, any thing for a change,
from good to  better, or from bad to  worse.
There is nothing more difficult to define, ac-
cording to the common use of the term, than
a good climate.  It means a place where the
well are robust and  hardy, or where few vio-
lent diseases are known, or where the yellow
fever does not rage, or where not more than
half the people have the fever and ague: in
fine, almost any place that has any resources,
and where lands or lots will sell in market.
For however people may express themselves
as to the salubrity of places in their vicinity,
they never acknowledge their own place to
be  unhealthy  as long  as any  body has life
enough left  to deny it.  Let any one deny
this who has travelled through our western
country if he can.  Let him refresh his recol-
lection as to the number of places that have
been resolutely pronounced healthy by one
half, while the  other half  their inhabitants
were sick.
   St. Louis has been declared healthier than
Boston, Cincinnati than  Albany, Utica than
New-York, and, to  cap the  climax of false- 
       WEST INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.     15

hood,  New  Orleans  has  been  claimed to
be healthier than  any northern city.  The
inhabitants of Kentucky and  Virginia have
removed to  Upper Missouri;  those of New
England and New-York  to  Ohio, Illinois,
Michilimackinac, and Green Bay;  those of
the western  States to  the New England sea-
board ; and  those of the northern and middle
States to Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louis-
iana, and Texas ; and all on account of their
health. This has  arisen  in  part from the
restlessness  of those  afflicted with  chronic
complaints,  but mostly from the temporary
benefit experienced by almost every one by
the mere change of climate  and scene, through
the influence of the nerves, without regard to
the effects of a continued residence in the par-
ticular climate.  Because  the immediate ef-
fect is agreeable, it is hastily concluded that
the  newly tried climate is good, and every
sacrifice is  made to remove to it: with what
results let the thousand disappointed wander-
ers after health  answer.  Having once made
the experiment without success, the unfortu-
nate patient concludes that nothing can help
him, and, without further expense or trouble,
settles down into a calm state of despondency, 
16
A WINTER IN THE
and drags out the residue of a miserable ex-
istence.  Instead of vainly asking opinions as
to climate, let us, in the first  place, carefully
consider what are the causes of a fine and what
of a bad climate, and where they are found;
and, secondly, what cases of disease are most
affected by climate.
  1. The causes of a good climate are few
and  simple: an  even  temperature, warm or
cool; an atmosphere at once dry  and pure.
Those of a bad climate,  extreme  heat  or
cold, variableness, humidity and impurity of
atmosphere.   In proportion as the  former or
latter preponderate, the climate will be good
or bad as a general thing.  Now, apply this
principle to our own country.  NewEngland
has dryness of atmosphere in general, because
the soil is dry, and the growth of vegetation
not rank.  To the sound in constitution, there-
fore, it is a good  climate. But it is subject not
only to severe  cold for a  great part of the
time, but  also at times to extreme heat, and,
what is worse than either, to the most sudden
transitions from one to the other.  Therefore,
though a great proportion of the healthy may
keep so, when  disease has once got foothold
in the system, it is almost impossible to get 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.      17

rid of it. The cold wind of an hour will blow
away the improvement of a week: and even
in the summer, when the feeble patient will
almost suffocate with heat in the middle of the
day, he finds perspiration suddenly checked
at night, and requires three blankets covering
to sleep warm.  In the western part of New-
York, Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Illinois, Indiana,
and Missouri, the same evils prevail;  in some
places perhaps not to so great an extent;  but
here there is an  additional evil  of  greater
magnitude.   The  soil is rich and moist;  the
growth of vegetation rank; and, what is worse
yet, there are plenty of fresh  lakes, ponds,
swamps, sluggish rivers, &c. &c.  on almost
every side;  and there are  no sea breezes to
give even a temporary purity to the atmos-
phere.  However  well located  a particular
place  may be, therefore,  as to  causes in  its
immediate vicinity,  its  inhabitants  must
breathe the great moving mass of air that has
passed over hundreds of miles of land imbued
with  moisture and covered with decaying
vegetable matter, from which a most noxious
malaria is constantly arising.   Because,  in
particular places  certain  malaria has pro-
duced a particular disease only within  a short
              2* 
18
A WINTER IN THE
distance of the place  where it originated, it
has been inferred that effluvia  from marshes,
swamps, moist soil, &c, could  not affect  the
salubrity of the atmosphere, except in its  im-
mediate vicinity; and the idea that the inju-
rious  effects may extend hundreds of miles,
has been treated as visionary and absurd,  but
is none the less true.   If a damp floor will
affect a whole house, will not a soil of many
feet in depth, saturated with water, and  ex-
posed to the rays of the sun, extend its va-
pours  miles in height ?  It must be so; or
clouds and rain would never be.   If an  un-
wholesome vapour is constantly arising miles
in height from the whole surface of a country
hundreds of miles in extent, will it not move
in a mass in the shape of wind, for hundreds
of miles, without  becoming much diluted by
the mixture of other air, as the warm water
of the Gulf Stream makes its way northward
without being cooled by the surrounding  wa-
ters?   And if  this effluvia does  not  every
where produce specific diseases, is it any more
strange that it should affect the  general health
and constitution of mankind,  than  that  the
water of one river should affect the quality of
the fishes that live in it, differently from that 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.      19

of others?  Two rivers may each have what
is called, pure water, and still the shad of one
be superior to those of the other.  If fishes
are affected by the water they breathe, must
not we be equally affected by our element of
respiration,—and is not the  general liability
to diseases in proportion to the humidity and
impurity of the atmosphere ?  To-be-sure, the
effects are not immediately felt by the robust
and hardy, except in particular sections, and
the country is therefore, in common parlance,
called healthy; but as often as  the  system
becomes prostrated by  some sudden attack of
disease, the slow recovery  in some, and the
remaining chronic  diseases in  other cases,
plainly demonstrate the badness of the cli-
mate.  In New England a person  has a fever,
and in two weeks is entirely well again.  In
the  western  country  it takes six or  eight
weeks to  get up at all,  and then, in  more
than half the cases, the patient is not entire-
ly  well in a year,  and in many cases finds
permanent chronic disease remaining after all
that can be done.  It is  therefore madness
to keep a patient here at least during the fall,
winter, and  spring months; and even  the
summer is bad  enough.  The mountainous 
20
A WINTER IN THE
regions of the southern States furnish a pretty
good  summer residence for invalids; but in
the winter, the whole of our southern States
are similar to, or worse than November  and
April  in  New-York, subject to dampness,
cold,  and sudden changes, making, on the
whole, about as  bad a place as could be ima-
gined for invalids.  The cold is not quite as
severe ; but as the preparation for it is not as
good, it is as much realized  as at the north.
When it is  considered  that these States are
situated to the north of  the Tropic,  and  that
consequently the wind must be  almost con-
stantly blowing from the cold regions of the
north during winter, sweeping nearly a whole
continent, and bearing  onward  its  accumu-
lated vapours, is it at all surprising that inva-
lids should fare worse here than almost  any
where else ?  The southern  people are open-
ing their eyes upon this subject; and notwith-
standing the general idea at the north, that
there  is no consumption at the south, nume-
rous patients afflicted, or at least threatened
with that complaint, are now sent from thence
to the West Indies, or to the south of Europe,
annually.  It is only between the Tropics that
the  requisite uniformity of temperature can be 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     21

found.  The West India Islands are the most
accessible to us on account of proximity, and
are, in many other respects, the  best resort  on
earth for those afflicted with chronic diseases.
They have the pure ocean on the north and
east, from whence the wind always blows,
and it is only  necessary to avoid immediate
local  causes of disease to have as healthy a
climate as the  earth can  afford.  Let those
who are enamoured with the idea of southern
Europe read the journal  of Lord Byron, or
any body else  who has kept one  there, and
they will be satisfied.  They will soon per-
ceive that rain, mud, hail, sleet,  and snow, are
not so  pleasant things as to compensate for
going three thousand  miles, especially when
we have enough of them at home  to be had
gratis.
   Clark on Climates  and Diseases gives a
particular description of all the places  of  re-
sort in southern Europe, and shows them all
far inferior to Madeira  as resorts for invalids ;
and from his description of the latter, it will
be seen that in winter cold is  a serious evil
there.   The thermometer falls at times as low
as fifty degrees, and rainy days are frequent.
At page 160-1, he cites  the opinion of Dr. Hei- 
22
A WINTER IN THE
neken, who resided at Madeira on account of
a pulmonary complaint, that the summer there
is far more favourable than  the winter, and
that pulmonary invalids had better spend the
winter in the West Indies, and the summer in
Madeira. At page 164, (note,) Dr. Clark says,
that he intended to have  given some account
of the climate of the West Indies, believing that
they would afford a better winter resort than
any he had described, but that he had been
unable  to  obtain  sufficient  information  to
satisfy himself upon the subject.
  The fear of yellow fever in the West Indies,
which has deterred many from going there, is
altogether unfounded.  In summer or winter,
with ordinary care, there is no danger.  The
cases of yellow fever generally occur on board
vessels, and about particular ports, which are
known from local causes to be unhealthy, sum-
mer and winter.   An invalid will of course
keep away from such places, and be safe.  If
he  does not, it is his own fault.  In all other
places there are no fevers without great expo-
sure to the heat  of the sun, and  the  cure is
easy in case of an attack—much easier than
similar attacks  at  the  north.  After reading
the following chapters, the reader  can judge 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     23

for  himself as to the correctness  of these
observations.
  2. There is scarcely any disease but what
is more or less affected by climate; but it is
only chronic affections that afford an oppor-
tunity for  benefit by a change.  In  fevers,
acute inflammations, and such  like  violent
diseases, of course the patient must combat
the enemy wherever he meets with  the at-
tack, as he cannot get away;  but in  almost
all  cases of sub-inflammation of the lungs,
bronchial tubes, stomach, liver, or any part of
the mucus membrane, producing catarrh, asth-
ma, stricture of the  chest, coughs, dyspepsia,
&c. &c, and particularly in all cases threat-
ening  consumption,  the most decided  advan-
tage is gained by a  good  climate, where, in-
stead of burning with heat and sweltering
with  perspiration at  one hour, and shivering
with  cold  and wrapped  in an overcoat the
next,  with perspiration  entirely obstructed,
the patient can at all times freely expose him-
self to the air without the burthen  of heavy
clothing, and can keep up a uniform action
upon the surface, thereby promoting a healthy
action of the mucus membrane  and  all the
secretory organs of  the system.  To almost 
24
A WINTER IN THE
every such patient, the relief afforded in a
single week is enough to compensate for a
voyage to the West Indies and back again.
In cases of confirmed tubercular consumption,
however, it is worse than useless to send the
patient to a strange  land for  the sake of a
climate which can do him no good. 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     25
             CHAPTER  II.
               My Own Case.

In January, 1831, at the age of 23, I was at-
tacked with an inflammation upon the lungs,
so violently as to require copious bleeding,
&c, &c.  After the disease had subsided, to
the great surprise of my physician as well as
myself, the first particle of food on the return
of appetite produced extreme distress at  the
stomach, flatulency, violent  eructations, and
other  distressing  symptoms of dyspepsia.
The whole nervous system became irritated
in the  highest degree,  and after having been
confined in my room till May,  as the warm
weather  came on, I was able to get to Sara-
toga Springs, where the  waters were tried
with trifling advantage; and from thence to
the sea-shore, where greater benefit was per-
ceived,  insomuch, that  travelling, instead of
fatiguing too much, began to afford relief.
   In  the fall, the advance of  cold weather
seemed to obstruct  all  the functions  of  the
system, and apprehensive  for the result, and
           3 
26
A WINTER IN THE
anxious to do something, it was resolved to
try the relaxing effect of a southern climate.
The worst symptoms somewhat  abated on
going south,  but others appearing at New-
Orleans, resulting from the climate, a Missis-
sippi steamboat was a natural resort; and
before  the first of December  I  was at St.
Louis.   To my great disappointment, that
place was found to  be about as cold, and,  if
possible,  more damp and chilly than west-
ern  New-York.   Despairing  of  any relief
from climate, I  returned home  by way of
Ohio, and arrived there in the severest winter
weather, somewhat improved  by  all these
journeys,  voyages,  and changes  of climate
together.   Severe dyspepsia,  however, re-
mained, and  no hope of recovery was per-
ceived  unless time should afford relief.
   In the  fall of 1834, severe  symptoms of
catarrh appeared, and, for the first time, the
lungs began  to show symptoms  of revolt.
Severe attacks of stricture across  the chest,
with a violent cough, occurred occasionally
at intervals of two or three weeks.
   In November, 1836, in the hope of obtain-
ing benefit from a residence on the sea-shore,
I  removed to the  city of New-York.  But 
       WEST INDIES  AND FLORIDA.     27

before  the winter had fairly commenced, the
strong, bracing,  cold  sea  air,  together with
the gas from coal fires, gave me  a  severe
attack of bronchitis, which rendered respira-
tion distressing beyond description.  Think-
ing the sea air and coal fires  the immediate
causes of difficulty, I returned to the coun-
try, where, instead of being relieved, every
symptom was aggravated to such a degree as
to render  it  impossible  to go  south,  which
now plainly appeared to be the only availa-
ble remedy.
   On returning  to the  city in the spring,
however,  the air  from  the ocean  appeared
very favourable ; and during the summer, the
improvement was so great that I was enabled
to endure the mild winter of 1837-8 in New-
York with but slight difficulty.
   During the hot summer of 1838, the worst
symptoms of catarrh,  asthma,  and  dyspepsia
made  a combined  attack upon the system.
The nerves became very irritable; pains be-
came severe and constant; and every thing
seemed to indicate a fatal termination  of my
miseries.  The first cool wind  in  September
brought back the  stricture across  the chest
with a severity before unknown.  Instead of 
28         A WINTER IN THE

coming occasionally,  and only at night,  it
now became constant day and night.  Down
to the first of December I had three attacks,
each lasting  about  a week;  during which
there was scarcely  a  moment's cessation  of
the  severest  distress, or an hour that would
admit  of  a reclining posture.  The cough
was terrible,  the expectoration copious, and
there was no reasonable ground to believe
that I could  survive  the  winter.   At the
earnest solicitation of my physician, as a last
experiment^ it was resolved to visit St. Croix,
which was then much resorted to by  inva-
lids from New-York, and was considered the
best place for them in the West Indies,  or
indeed anywhere else.  The expense,  to be
sure, was double what it would have been  to
Key West; but it was now too strong a case
to think of that.  Accordingly, with hasty
preparation and drooping spirits, I bid adieu
to New-York, and embarked upon a winter's
ocean,  with every  thing  to apprehend and
but little reasonably to hope.   At least,  such
was my own impressions.  The sequel  will
show how agreeably I was disappointed. 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     29
             CHAPTER III.
                The Voyage.

Many are deterred  from going to any place
beyond seas  by fear of sea-sickness ;  and
hence seek out the best place they can  find
in their own  country as a resort during win-
ter.  Hundreds,  no doubt, visit our southern
States every winter,  who are fully aware of
the superiority of  the  West India climate,
because they  have not the moral  courage to
endure a few days at sea, when all who have
tried it acknowledge the benefits  after it is
over, whatever  may be their opinion while
the distress remains.  I  have been to sea sev-
eral times ; with one exception, have always
been sick as long as the sea has been rough ;
and although while at sea I have  always de-
termined never to go again,  have uniformly
thought the reverse as soon as it was over.
And why ?   Because conscious of the great
benefit to health derived from it.
   On the fourth of December, in the severest
of winter weather,  with a constitution suffer-
             3* 
30         A WINTER IN  THE
ing under the combined influence of catarrh,
asthma and dyspepsia, all aggravated by the
severities  of a  northern winter, with  great
pain of body and depression of spirits border-
ing on despair, I abandoned my foothold on
terra firma, and committed  myself to the
mercy of the  winds and the  waves.  My
own case was bad enough ; but a worse one
was before my eyes, and it did not become
me to complain.  A fellow-passenger, a man
in the prime of life, and but  six weeks be-
fore perfectly healthy, was brought on board,
being unable to walk;  and accompanied by
his mother, took  his  leave of his  brothers,
while the tears of all falling thick  and fast,
plainly indicated  their  belief  that it was a
final separation.  He  had an  attack of he-
morrhage at the  lungs, and was then under
the full influence of a hectic fever,  and pro-
bably could not  have survived two weeks
at New-York.
  After four days of fair wind,  but rough sea,
during which  I  was unable  to  leave my
berth, I crawled,  for I was unable to walk,
to the deck, and stretched myself at full
length in a sun-shine  as cheering as the
smiles of friendship.   We  had now passed 
       WEST INDIES  AND FLORIDA.     31

the Gulf Stream, and saw no more of cold
weather.  My improvement, in spite of con-
tinued sea-sickness, was truly  surprising —
far beyond my most ardent anticipations.
The pains about the spine  and chest,  the
stricture of the lungs,  catarrhal and  asth-
matic symptoms,  all subsided ; and long be-
fore  eating anything  I could walk  the deck
without pain,  and respire the pure  air with
perfect ease.  The winds  became  light,  as
v/ell as adverse,  and kept  us fourteen days
in making from lat. 28° to 23°, about three
hundred miles. During this time sea-sickness
subsided, appetite returned, and well  did I im-
prove it, insomuch that it was difficult to make
passengers believe the story of my sufferings
at home.   My fellow-invalid also improved
enough to enable him to walk the deck, though
his symptoms  remained bad.  We finally got
a  strong  trade-wind  from  the  south-east,
which brought us up before St. Thomas on
Christmas  morning.   A merry Christmas in-
deed,  to find  ourselves alongside the  pictu-
resque landscape of St. Thomas, after a dreary
voyage of three weeks, with the monotonous
roar of the ocean for our only music;
   The city of St. Thomas is situated on  the 
32
A WINTER IN  THE
south side of the island of that name, 18° 20'
north latitude, at the head of  a fine harbour,
running up about three miles from the ocean,
to the foot of a ridge of round-topped hills,
shooting  up as regularly as though  they had
been forced up by some volcanic eruption.  A
smaller range of hills bounds  the harbour on
either side, making the distance to the town,
when viewed from a vessel lying at its mouth,
appear less than half a mile.   The buildings,
painted with various colours, rising  gradually
one above another  upon three separate eleva-
tions, with the deep green leaves of  cocoa-nut
and palm trees interspersed among  them, to-
gether with the majestic elevation in the rear,
presented a landscape picturesque and beauti-
ful  beyond  description.  My  impressions  of
the place were of course decidedly favourable,
and would have remained so  had I  not gone
on shore and seen  the  town  as it  really is.
The streets  are narrow; the free circulation
of air is  obstructed on  either side; and the
sun beats down with overpowering  heat, ren-
dering it an  unhealthy as well as unpleasant
place.  The first information we got  about the
place, was that many of the inhabitants were
down with fevers,  and that  there were three 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.     33

cases in the family of one of our fellow-passen-
gers from New-York. This was of course satis-
factory evidence that St. Thomas was no place
for invalids; and the fact that  old inhabitants
afterwards visited St. Croix for their health, and
that sea-captains generally  complained  that
their men always got sick there, confirmed me
in the opinion.  At night we made sail for St.
Croix, about forty miles to the south-east, and
the next morning, December 26th, found our-
selves in the harbour of Bassin, or Christian-
stadt.
  A word of advice to invalids about passages
shall conclude this chapter.   I have observed
that whenever most passengers go, the price is
highest, because  it  becomes an object for the
proprietors of vessels to combine to keep it up.
As  for a few years past many have gone to St.
Croix, I found that packet ships asked one
hundred dollars, and brigs, &c. seventy-five to
eighty, for a  passage of only fifteen hundred
miles, which is usually performed in twelve or
fifteen, and sometimes  in eight or ten days;
whereas very  good transient vessels were glad
to take forty or fifty dollars to  any of the West
India islands.   Many passengers suppose that
they will  be much more comfortable if they ga 
34          A WINTER  IN THE

in the vessel that charges highest.  This is a
mistake.  Those vessels are generally filled to
overflowing,  which  renders them  extremely
uncomfortable in case of  bad  weather;  and
besides, when there  are  so many, it becomes
almost impossible to get the requisite attention
from stewards, <fec. <fcc.  Secure a passage in
a good, strong, fast-sailing vessel, where there
are  few passengers; and,  above all, keep clear
of a lower cabin when there is an upper one,
and the sufferings of a voyage will be greatly
diminished.    There is a  bad air in lower
cabins, especially in sugar vessels, that renders
them almost intolerable.  I preferred sleeping
on the floor, for  want of a better place above,
the  three  last nights of  the voyage.   These
may seem trifles  to some, but not to those who
have  been or expect to go to  sea.  If any
should doubt the correctness of these remarks,
let  them try it, as I have, and they will  then
be satisfied. 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     35
              CHAPTER IV.
            Bassin, or Christianstadt.

The  view of the town from the harbour is
picturesque, but not as beautiful as that of St.
Thomas.   It is situated near the north end of
the island, at the foot of a range of hills seve-
ral hundred  feet high, which extends along
the whole north-westerly shore.  A consider-
able elevation projects out  from the main
range, forming the easterly boundary of the
harbour; but on the southerly side, the eleva-
tion is gradual, affording a fine view of several
sugar  plantations.  The  rich cane-fields  on
the right,  the deep foliage  of  the cocoa-nut
and palm trees in the distance,  the windmills
of the sugar-houses crowning the summits of
several beautiful hills, with the town in front,
and the lofty  mountains  in the rear, rising
with  all the stern and rugged majesty of Na-
ture's  wildness, altogether presented a scene
variegated and delightful  in the extreme to
one who had but just escaped from  the ice-
bound regions of the north.  Highly delight- 
36         A WINTER  IN THE

ed as I was, there was one thing which struck
me unfavourably  before going on shore,  to
wit: the  great humidity of the  atmosphere.
Every thing appeared dripping with moisture,
and the  physician from the town  soon in-
formed us, that it was what they call the sick-
ly season, but that it was about over; that
some  were now sick with fevers, and others
with  fever and ague.  This was rather un-
pleasant  news to one who shuddered at the
idea of a damp climate.  I had seen several
persons well  acquainted with the island, and
had read some published descriptions of it, but
never heard  of this  humidity of atmosphere,
or one word about fever and ague abounding
there.  However,  we all   went  ashore, re-
solved to make the best of it.  The signs of
moisture now became more and more appar-
ent, two  or three showers happened while we
were  getting  on shore,  with bright sun-shine
intervening between each:   The  moisture of
the ground, the mouldering appearance of the
brick and stone walls, and the decaying state
of the wooden buildings,  all  eloquently be-
spoke the dampness  of the climate.  I could
think of nothing but  the idea of visiting a city
a week after  the flood.  However moist, the 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     37

atmosphere was warm, bland, and of even tem-
perature, inducing a very comfortable and se-
dentary feeling.  Sea-sickness  for the last
three days of the voyage had caused a tempo-
rary suspension of  appetite, which returned
with double force, and the first meal showed
conclusively that the climate was favourable
to digestion; and for several days, fearless of
dyspepsia, and all its consequences, I ate more
at a meal than  I  could have with safety
eaten in a whole week at New-York.  There
was not a sign of cough, asthma, or catarrh,
and scarcely any of dyspepsia, remaining.  So
rapid was the improvement, almost  all my
clothing soon  became  tod small, and after a
few days, every body would smile, when any-
thing was said  about  my being an  invalid.
During the summer of 1838, which was cer-
tainly hot enough, I had not a moment of such
health as I now enjoyed.  So great was the
contrast between present comfort and past
misery, that I walked forth in perfect ecstacy,
as though I had suddenly passed "from death
unto life."  But what  of the place ?  It con-
tains about  three thousand  inhabitants,  less
than three hundred of whom  are whites, the
residue of every shade from jet black  to light
              4
I 
38          A WINTER IN THE

yellow,  perhaps  one quarter  of them slaves,
the rest  free, and without any apparent differ-
ence  in manners,  customs,  dress,  circum-
stances, or feelings, between them.  Of course,
it is seldom that  a white man, and much more
seldom that a white lady, is met in the street.
The  houses are built with  basements  for
store-rooms, <fec, (fee, level  with the street,
and  one story above to reside  in, with a gal-
lery, as it is here called, or kind of piazza, the
whole length in front.  There are  no side-
walks to the  streets, and no pavements,  the
soil  making a hard, clean surface in spite of
rain.
   To one accustomed to view the throng of
exquisitely dressed  ladies  and  gentlemen,
constantly  rushing  along the sidewalks of
Broadway,  and hear  the deafening rattle* of
 carriages and carts, to find himself all at once
 in a city where he sees only a crowd of bare-
 foot, half naked negroes,  straying carelessly
 along the middle  of the street, like  so  many
 cattle,  without a cart or carriage in motion,
 or a sound heard except the  gabble of the
 negroes, — the  contrast is  at once striking,
 novel, and amusing.  In general, all  move,
 and speak too,  as deliberately as if Time had 
       WEST INDIES  AND FLORIDA.     39

folded up his  wings.   But there is now and
then an exception.  For instance: occasion-
ally,  a strapping bare-foot  negro  would run
through the street at the rate  of seven knots,
with  a bucket of water or a  bundle of wood
on his head, • balanced as well as though he
were  standing perfectly still.
  During the ten  days I remained there, it
rained, on an average,  four  or five  times  a
day.  The  showers  were  short, and  as  a
scorching sun  generally  intervened,  it was
never safe to go out for a moment without an
umbrella.  It was generally considered, and I
have  no  doubt correctly  too, that exposure
either to the sun or rain was  dangerous  even
to the inhabitants,  and productive of certain
injury to strangers or invalids. The nighrair
was also damp and injurious ; and a current
of air at any time was studiously avoided by
everybody.   The  ladies  of the place had
generally a pale, aguish countenance, and the
children  were extremely  subject to croup,
&c, <fcc.:  a  sure indication  of the humidity
of the atmosphere.   The heat  in the day-
time was generally oppressive, the thermome-
ter ranging from 82° to 86° in the shade ; and
as it  was  unsafe to go out  in the evening, 
40         A  WINTER  IN  THE
there was but a little time for exercise, to wit,
about two  hours  in  the  morning, and two
more  towards evening.
  This  was  generally improved in  riding;
the roads here being the finest in the world.
No such thing as mud or dust is ever known;
and the rolling of the carriage-wheels  upon
the hard smooth surface, makes music for the
ear, and gives a pleasure to riding unknown
anywhere  else.   Every  invalid of course
avails himself of such a fine, healthful recrea-
tion;  as a  horse  and gig may be hired for
thirty dollars per  month, kept, harnessed, and
brought to the door whenever wanted,  and a
saddle-horse for half that sum.
   The scenery along the way is delightful
beyond  description.   At  one  moment you
wind around between two  ranges  of lofty
hills, and the next, rich  level fields  of cane
break upon your view, with  the white walls
of a  sugar-works and mansion-house upon
the summit of a  hill  in the  distance, and a
wind-mill above the whole, swinging its long
arms  like a mighty giant, inviting some val-
orous Don Quixote  to mortal  combat.  On
the way-side are clusters of lime trees, with ripe
yellow  fruit, contrasting finely with the deep 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.      41

green foliage; and  the whole is adorned  by
rows of palm trees, or mountain cabbage,  as
they are here called, on each side, standing
as straight and true as so many architectural
columns of the  most skilful  workmanship
and finest  proportions.   The rides about this
place are considered by many more romantic
and variegated than those  about West End,
or any other part of the island.
   It will be perceived, that however benefi-
cial the climate  may  prove, with proper care
on the part  of  invalids,  still,  without the
greatest caution, there is constant danger in
so many particulars, that the requisite care is
burdensome  and sometimes  tedious.  The
heat is much of the time oppressive, and  al-
ways relaxing, and but little exercise can be
endured  without  great   fatigue.  Notwith-
standing all  these  inconveniences, however,
during the ten days passed here, I continued
rapidly to improve;  and,  therefore, speaking
m general terms, ought  to say that it was a
good  climate for me at  least.  It  was  sc^
compared with any I had ever before known.
The bad, however, must be stated as well as
the good, so that invalids may judge for them-
selves.
              4* 
42          A WINTER IN THE

  There were only six or eight invalids  at_
lids at this place,, including my fellow-passen
gers — most of the Americans, on the whole,
preferring  West End, a village about fifteen
miles  distant.   This  is  the  capital  of  the
island ;  the  government-house and public
offices are of course here.   There is nothing
splendid in  any  of the public edifices, and
contrary to my expectations, the gardens were
indifferent,  and  almost  destitute   of fruit.
Scarcely a hundred oranges  could  be found
upon  the  trees  in all the city and suburbs.
There are several churches — a  Lutheran,
 Catholic, and Episcopalian.   The Lutheran
is  the national  religion of the Danes; but a
 mild  system of  toleration is adopted as to
 other sects.
    The English language is  spoken here  by
 all the inhabitants, except some of the Danish
 soldiers.   There are almost as many English
 and American inhabitants as Danes,  and  the
 latter are generally more civil and polite to
 visiters  than the former.  On the  birth-day
 of his Danish majesty, a ball is always given
 at  the   government-house,  to which   the
 American  visiters  are invited,  and every
 disposition appears to be manifested to make 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.      43

the place  a pleasant  resort  for invalids.
There  are  two  boarding-houses  here,  but
they are not well supported, on account of
the general  preference for West End.  The
inhabitants  of the place are very  much sur-
prised at  this strange perversion of taste in
the Americans, in preferring a place,  accord-
ing to  their accounts,  the very  worst  on
earth.   They are almost  indignant  at any
one who attempts to speak favourably of West
End,  and use every effort to prevent others
going there, telling strangers on their arrival
that the other place is  without  accommoda-
tions,  (fee.   I  was  told  on  my  arrival,
that it  was impossible  to get  lodgings at
West End, but, to my surprise, found plenty
of room there after twenty more  passengers
had arrived.  If invalids wish to avoid dif-
ficulty, they had better form their own opin-
ions upon several little local matters,  but not
by any means express  them, as,  in  a small
community, every  thing affecting the inter-
ests of the  inhabitants  is told from one end
of the island  to  the  other in  an incredibly
short time.
   One accustomed to the style of furnishing
in the boarding-houses  of our cities, may at 
 44         A WINTER IN  THE

 first be  somewhat surprised  at  the  appear-
 ance  of  a boarding-house  in  St.  Croix.   A
 house white-washed outside,  with a  single
 covering of boards, washed or painted with-
 in, without ceiling overhead, except the roof,
 with old shutters,  and  no blinds  or glass  to
 the windows, with decaying boards for floors,
 without carpets or other covering, and furni-
 ture of the simplest and cheapest kind, — a ta-
 ble, some chairs, and a calico-eovered sofa, in
 the dining room,—a bed,  chair, and  wash-
 stand,  in  sleeping  rooms, — might not   at
 first seem  exactly what he  would wish, and
 lead him to suspect that he had not found the
 best place.  But  after becoming better ac-
 quainted, and finding all other places about
 the same, he will soon  become perfectly satis-
 fied, and in a short time  feel  disposed  to
 laugh  at the extravagant superfluity of fine
 furniture at the north.   At New-York I had
 boarded for five dollars per week,  at a  house
 rented at twelve hundred dollars a year, and
 furnished at an expense of several thousands;
 here I paid ten dollars per week at a house
which could be bought, lot and all, for twelve
hundred  dollars, and  containing  altogether
scarcely three hundred dollars' worth of fur- 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.     45

niture.  The  reason of the  high price of
board  is not the expense of  provisions,  for
they are generally low, nor of servants,  for
slaves  are bought at from one to three hun-
dred dollars, and hired for  from two to four
dollars per month; but  because there are no
boarders to  be had for  one half of the year,
and  the loss must  be made up on the other.
A family wishing to  spend  the  winter here,
and live economically, would do well to bring
out such  articles of furniture as they might
want,  take  apartments,  and keep house  for
themselves.   They can then  live  exactly to
suit  them, which will not always be the case
at a boarding-house.   Five to  ten dollars  per
month will hire a comfortable house, and there
are plenty to be had.  A good  living may be
procured at  small expense.  The meats of the
island  are pretty good,  and  the  fish are fine
beyond comparison, and  almost beyond  de-
scription.   Plantains and bananas are at once
healthy and palatable, and the  sweet potato is
far better  than any we ever get at the north.
The oranges of St. Croix, though not abun-
dant,  are  unsurpassed  in  excellence.  The
above mentioned  articles, with plenty of good
bread,  which  can always be  had, constitute 
46          A WINTER IN THE
not only a wholesome but luxurious diet. Let
no one be deterred from eating freely of these,
because the same or similar things have pro-
duced injurious effects at the north.  The ef-
fect  is quite different when  eaten here.  At
New-York I could only eat hard bread, and a
little roast or broiled meat, without vegetables
or fruit, and of those but a small quantity,
without severe  indigestion and asthma.  Here
I  could  eat to  the extent  of my appetite  of
meats, vegetables, and fruit, with perfect impu-
nity.   There are  many other  things  which
may be  acceptable to others, though  not  to
me.   The yam and casaba root are used as  a
substitute for the  common potato, but I like
the plantain better; the forbidden  fruit and
shattuck for oranges: they resemble the orange
in colour, are  much  larger, but are  bitter  to
the taste, and to me unpalatable.  The messi-
ple, or apple of Venus, is liked  by many; the
mango, by some; and the belle apple, when
just ripe enough, by  almost  every  body.
Muskmelons are  plenty,  and  rather  better
than at the north, but are not a healthy fruit
anywhere.
   These are a  few of the novelties, at least in
winter, which the northern invalid has  gained 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     47
by the exchange of climate.  The living, how-
ever, at boarding-houses, does not generally
suit Americans.   Danish flour, a little musty,
is sometimes preferred to American, because,
forsooth, there is twelve and a half per cent.
difference in the price, i. e. the amount of du-
ties.  Danish butter and lard are perseveringly
pronounced better than American for the same
reason;  and because we ignorant Yankees dif-
fer with them in taste, and will not eat butter
resembling  goose-oil  and molasses, when set
upon the table,  we  are  finely  punished by
having  it plentifully poured into  all gravies,
worked into all  sorts of cake and almost every
thing else.  No  allusion is had to any particu-
lar house, my intention being merely to men-
tion an evil which is quite  common.  There
are some exceptions.  Much of the cake baked
at St. Croix, and which looks very finely too,
is a compound of old flour, bad lard, and worse
butter, well sweetened, stuck together, and half
baked.  Fresh butter is made upon the island,
which many like because of its scarcity; but
almost every one abandons  the  use of butter
altogether after  a few days ;  and if they could
keep it out  of the cake and  gravies, would be
satisfied withal. American butter  might  be 
48          A WINTER IN THE

brought here very sweet, but there is no mar-
ket  for  it,  and therefore  it does  not  come.
This particular detail of living is given to en-
able invalids  to judge for themselves whether
to come prepared  to keep  house or rely upon
boarding-houses.
  On this  subject my remarks are  founded
upon observations at West End, as well as at
Bassin,  and  met  the concurrence of  many
boarders at both places.  With  these evils
enough  of  good was mixed, however,  to en-
sure a pretty good living at any of the  board-
ing-houses, i. e. after a little experience  in se-
lecting.  The oranges, sweet potatoes, (fee. <fcc.
could not be spoiled, but were  sometimes not
found in  sufficient quantity  to  supply the
demand. 
WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.     49
              CHAPTER  V.
          West End, or Frederickstadt.

After becoming pretty well acquainted with
the particulars of Bassin, it was natural to pay
a visit at least to West End, the general resort
of Americans.  On leaving Bassin, which is
situate nearly on a level with the ocean, and
passing over the plantations situate under the
lee of the hills, and still elevated several  hun-
dred  feet from the shore, it was immediately
observed from the appearance of every thing,
that it was impossible the  frequent showers
we had lately had in town could have reached
here.   The air was  pure, dry, and  elastic,
beyond any thing before  observed.  Gentle
breezes found their way through all the val-
leys, and over all the  plains, banishing exces-
sive perspiration, increasing the strength and
enlivening the spirits, and giving a brisk mo-
tion  to  the windmills  stationed on  almost
every hill-top, like so many valorous defenders
of the high places; the heavy rich growth of
cane was gently waving in the breeze, with a
              5 
50         A  WINTER  IN THE
slight rustling murmur; beautiful rows of or-
namental trees bordered the splendid road we
were passing; the warbling of birds was heard
among their  branches;  small fleecy  clouds
were floating in the heavens, alternately vary-
ing every view, from the brightest sunshine to
the deepest shade;  and every thing combined
to impress me with the idea of passing through
some enchanted land of the wildest  romance,
rather than any reality of the earth.   After  a
ride  of two hours  and a half through scenes
constantly varying, but everywhere beautiful,
with a range of cultivated conical hills on the
right, and a view of the ocean over miles of
cane fields and groves of palm  trees  on the
left, the village of West End suddenly burst
upon the view.  One  of those slight momen-
tary  showers which  are common here, was
hanging  over trie  village,  throwing all  the
colours of the rainbow over a scene  which is
always  surpassingly  beautiful.   The effect
was at once beautiful and sublime beyond de-
scription.  The imagination of Mahomet could
not supply its equal with which to adorn his
Paradise.
  This village is situate on  open ground, gra-
dually rising  from  the shore, not hemmed in 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.     51

by hills, like Bassin, but with plenty in per-
spective, to give grandeur as well as beauty to
the scenery, and is bounded on every side, ex-
cept the shore, with highly cultivated  sugar
plantations.  The streets are wider than those
of Bassin, and the buildings less compact, in a
better state of preservation, and more in Ameri-
can  taste.   There are also more gardens  and
shrubbery about  town; and, what is observa-
ble at the first view, neither the buildings  nor
the soil show such strong indications of fre-
quent rains.  As near as I can judge, there are
about one thousand inhabitants in the village,
nearly half whites.  The amount  of mercan-
tile business is as much or more than that of
Bassin, and the number of vessels in the  har-
bour about the same.  Like almost every other
American, I at once fell into the notion  that
this  place was far  superior to  the  other, and
determined to change my quarters.  From five
or six weeks'  residence here, visiting Bassin
occasionally, and making particular inquiries
of others, I was confirmed in the opinion  that
there was not half as much rain, dampness of
atmosphere, or actual sickness, here as  there.
Almost every body  who left  here in  fair
weather, found it rainy or damp there,  and 
52          A WINTER  IN THE
those who. left it wet there, found it dry here.
The account of the weather above given, there-
fore, is not accurate  in  application to  West
End or the island in general.,  The frequency
of showers, however, was a general subject of
complaint even here.   Although  there  were
some days when it did not rain at all, still two
or three showers a-day  were  very  common,
and sometimes there were ten or a dozen, with
bright sunshine intervening.   These showers
generally last but a few moments, and extend
but little  distance; it  being  no uncommon
occurrence for one estate to get plenty of rain
while  the next  is parching  with   drought.
This frequency of rain, together with the rank
growth of vegetation, would make a very un-
healthy climate were it not for the nature of
the soil, (which does not retain the water, the
elevation of the land keeping  it always  dry,)
and the fine cultivation  of almost every acre
of ground, except some  of the steepest and
roughest hills.  The rain washes away every
impurity.  There is no low land or  stagnant
water; and there is scarcely any sickness, ex-
cept from direct exposure to rain, night air, or
sunshine.   With proper care, therefore, it is a
good climate for invalids from the north who 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.      53

need only evenness of temperature and elasti-
city of atmosphere.  With all the beneficial
effects I experienced, however, it was difficult
to become reconciled to the idea  of  closing
windows the moment the sun set or a shower
arose, of  keeping  close in the evening  and
through all the middle of the day.  An attack
of catarrh and asthma  at night was  sure to
follow exposure to the  evening air;  and on
several occasions, during the month of Janu-
ary,  my  old difficulties came  upon me with
sufficient severity to cause restless nights, with
a severe turn of asthma and  cough towards
morning.   In spite of all this, however, my
general health kept improving, and my weight
increased seven or eight pounds in a month.
Many others found themselves daily increasing
in weight and substance,  as well as in health
and spirits, and there was a general expression
in favour of the climate: some, however,  con-
sidered it very bad.  In  regard to the moisture
and  frequent showers, it is fair to state, that
so rainy a winter had not  been known there
for several years, if the statements of the in-
habitants are to be relied upon.
   As to medical attendance, the very best can
              5* 
54          A WINTER IN THE

be procured  at  St. Croix;  several eminent
physicians  residing there, one of whom, Dr.
Steadman, of West End, had a hemorrhage at
the lungs at the age of eighteen, came there
for his health, and now looks hardy and ro-
bust at the  age of about sixty.  The charges
for medical attendance are moderate.
  There were six boarding-houses here, en-
tertaining  in all  about  seventy American
boarders, about one half of whom were inva-
lids, and the residue their husbands, wives, or
companions : of course, every house was filled
to overflowing.  The board  of the whole at
ten dollars per week  amounts to two thou-
sand eight hundred dollars per month, and in
six months,  to  nearly  twenty  thousand
dollars: a  considerable  little revenue for a
small village.  The inhabitants may well feel
disposed to encourage  American visiters to
come here, and try to please  them when they
get here.   Rent is very  low, and  keeping
boarders must be  profitable.  One  establish-
ment, which cost only three thousand dollars,
kept seventeen boarders.  There are plenty of
small houses, suitable for single  private fami-
lies, to be had at about eight dollars per month; 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     55

and although it might cost some trouble, I can
but think many would prefer  keeping house
to boarding, if they could come  from home
well  prepared.   Besides  the  objections to
boarding before mentioned, there are  some
others, more apparent here than  at Bassin.
The great number of invalids makes it seem
more like a hospital than a boarding-house,
and nervous people are not at all benefitted by
having so  many patients  before their  eyes,
hearing  the stories  of their sufferings, and
sympathising in their despair.  A person, how-
ever, who  is not alarmed  at beholding hard
cases of disease, will find some, if not  all, of
these boarding-houses very comfortable, in res-
pect of rooms, settees, (fee. (fee.
   Another objection that weighs with some, is
that ten or fifteen Americans, especially from
the  same  city,  cannot   spend  six months
together in the  same house, and with nothing
else to do, without getting up some petty mis-
chief-making scheme  or  other,  or  without
some of them  attempting to show their supe-
riority over others, either  in point of wealth,
standing, etiquette, or extravagance, in such
manner  as seriously to annoy any  one who 
56
A WINTER IN  THE
has too much sense to participate in such con-
temptible efforts.  A sly, cunning, knowing,
sort of a fool, that tells all news, and knows
everybody's business in advance, and always
gets it wrong; a jesting fellow, always dealing
in inuendoes  and putting everybody to the
trouble  of deciding whether  jesting,, or in
earnest; a dandy clerk, with a salary of three
hundred a year, strutting  in ruffles, and ridi-
culing every body behind his notions of fash-
ionable  dress; or  what is worse than either,
one of Nature's little great  men, eternally  in-
sinuating that nobody can be anything who
does not come up to him, in eating and drink-
ing according to fashion, or amount of expen-
ditures,  when perhaps his  creditors at home
are wondering why he does not pay his debts;
or some other equally disgusting  and unen-
durable  bore, is almost sure to be found at a
public boarding-house, and to be a  greater
cause of annoyance than any one can imagine
before he has tried it.   To set  off against evils
of this  sort,  however,  almost every place
affords an acquaintance with some who are at
once  talented,  intelligent,  and polite,  and
whose valuable society would be  lost, or at 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.     57

least but partially enjoyed by one who should
avoid  a boarding-house.  These  are  small
matters, but it is better to consider them in
advance, as  they are sure to be thought of at
some time.
  Of the invalids here, three died during the
months of  December  and  January,  being
hopeless cases of  consumption,  from  their
first start from home ; two or three other cases
of  far-gone consumption derived but  little
advantage from the climate.  Some five or
six  others were much  improved,  and  their
sufferings much alleviated, without any very
encouraging appearance of ultimate recovery ;
five or six had every  appearance of perfect
health, after severe attacks  of hemorrhage at
the  lungs at  the north ; and four or five cases
of asthma were now, as they had before been,
entirely relieved, while remaining in a tropical
climate, but  had found the disease return on
going north  heretofore,  and no doubt will find
the  same  result  again.   The  effect  of the
change of climate upon persons afflicted with
catarrh, asthma, and bronchitis, is at the same
time so certain and  beneficial, that those who
have been thus afflicted for any considerable 
 58         A  WINTER IN  THE

 length of time, had better abandon the north
 at  once, and keep themselves between the
 tropics, where they can enjoy a good degree of
 health and comfort, in lieu of a life of severe
 affliction, and premature death, in the damp,
 chilly regions  of their own country.  It is
 hard to quit all, and go, but harder still, to stay
 and suffer.
   It was probably not  the  fault  of the  cli-
 mate in some cases which prevented the im-
 provement  of invalids;  but  merely their
 own  carelessness and  imprudence,  in  ex-
 posing themselves to the evening air, dining
 out, staying  late,  and  eating extravagantly,
 drinking champagne, &c., &c.   Some  who
 were almost daily expectorating  blood, in-
 dulged themselves in such imprudent experi-
 ments.  The ordinary hour of dining with
 the Danes  is 5 o'clock, p. m., consequently,
 no one dines out without making an evening
 affair of it.   It may seem strange that an in-
 valid should think of such a thing; but feel-
 ing so much better here than at home, and
 the strong desire to do something to break in
 upon the dull monotony of the life he is liv-
ing,  naturally  lead hint  to venture upon 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     59

indulgences he would  never think of  at
home.
  The  first three  or four weeks at West
End passes off pretty comfortable.  Picking
up shells upon the shore amuses for a while ;
riding affords  a recreation not quite so soon
worn out.   Two hours' ride, in two or three
different directions, carries one over the best
roads and through some of the finest scenery
on earth.   In a carriage, you may ride three
or four miles along a clear little creek, wind-
ing about between hills  from 500 to 1000 feet
high, rising precipitately on  each side,  and
still covered with  cane to the very summit;
with clusters  of  limes, oranges,  shattucks,
and  forbidden fruit, scattered along the banks
of the stream  and margin of the way, almost
within  reach ; with a thick growth of wild
and  fragrant  flowers scattered beneath ; or
on  horseback, you may  ascend at once the
loftiest summits,  Mount  Washington  and
Signal  Hill, nearly  a  thousand  feet high,
with not only roads, but rows of ornamental
trees across them, and  look  down upon the
whole  island, spread out below, like a beau-
tiful and highly cultivated garden.   Scenes 
 60         A WINTER IN THE

 like these are delightful,  but the  novelty
 soon wears away, and it seems dull and mo-
 notonous to be always  riding over the same
 ground.   Dullness was a very genuine com-
 plaint,  especially  among  those  who were
 well, much more so than it would be under
 similar circumstances at the north ;  because
 here the  climate  predisposes to  a  kind  of
 mental indolence,  which renders  it  almost
 impossible to read.   The attention and mem-
 ory both fail, and  the book is soon  thrown
 aside  for something more exciting, if it can
 be found.  As to  the  climate, however, al-
 though some dislike it, a majority of the visi-
 ters considered it decidedly the most favour-
 able for invalids of any within their know-
 ledge.   As to myself, however, my  health
 growing worse along  the  latter  part  of
 January, I determined to make the  trial  of
 some others during the winter, if an oppor-
 tunity  should  offer;  and, accordingly, en-
 gaged  a passage  for  Trinidad  de  Cuba,
 early  in February.  I  have  now given  all
 the material circumstances of my residence
 at the two  villages, and  a  brief   general
description of the  island will close  my re- 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     61

marks upon St. Croix,  and enable  every
reader to see the whole before him, precisely
as he will find it if he ever  goes there: the
good and the bad, fairly and faithfully de-
tailed, without fear, favour, affection, or the
hope of reward.   Those interested may give
a more flattering account, but I can only give
it just as I found it.
6 
62
A WINTER IN THE
             CHAPTER  VI.
            Santa Cruz in  General.

St. Croix is an island, about eighteen miles
long, situated in latitude 17° 45' north, lon-
gitude —  west  of  Greenwich.   It  is al-
most exclusively devoted to the cultivation of
sugar-cane,  and the manufacture of sugar,
molasses, and rum.   In a good season it pro-
duces from fifty to sixty thousand hogsheads
of muscovado sugar of the best quality.  It is
generally  calculated that the molasses and
rum will pay all  the contingent expenses of
the estates ; leaving the  sugar for clear in-
come, which at seventy-five dollars the hogs-
head, for which it is generally sold there, in
a good season,  amounts to three millions
seven  hundred  and fifty  thousand  dollars.
This great revenue is produced by the care-
ful  cultivation of almost every inch of the
soil, the estates generally consisting of  but
one hundred and fifty to  three hundred acres
each ;  and nearly one hundred negroes being
employed upon each  one hundred and fifty 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     63

acres.  The soil is dry and sweet, producing
the best cane, and consequently the best su-
gar known.  I had heard much of filthiness
in the manufacture of sugar and molasses,
but the first view of a St. Croix sugar-works
contradicted  it.  The  kettles,  the  vats  in
which the sugar is  cooled, the hogsheads in
which it is drained, and  even the molasses
vats under them, are  so  perfectly neat and
clean, that no  one  who has  seen them can
feel  any squeamishness in  eating St. Croix
sugar, or molasses either.   To look at a vat-
full, a foot deep, just  chrystalizing over the
surface, and perfectly transparent to the bot-
tom, would satisfy the most scrupulous upon
this point.   There is about twenty-five thou-
sand black, and three  thousand white popu-
lation.  Of course,  it is seldom a white man
is seen in riding through the island.
   Many of the blacks are free, and the slaves,
by the protection afforded them by the Dan-
ish  laws,  are  about as well satisfied with
slavery as they would be with freedom.  No
slave can be taken  from the island without
security for  his or her return ; masters can-
not inflict punishment without  the interven-
tion  of public authority;  no slave can be 
64         A WINTER IN  THE

sold against his or her consent, except with
the estate ;  and cheap and easy provisions are
made for emancipation.   Such is the  ex-
pectation of  a general  abolition,  that  the
prices of slaves are only  about one fourth
as high  as in the United States.  In the vil-
lage of Christianstadt, a  large proportion of
the retail trade, and nearly all the mechan-
ical  labour,  is in  the  hands of  the free
blacks and  mulattoes ; and the politeness, in-
telligence, and ability of some of these, would
surprise those who think their race by Nature
unfit for freedom.   Many of them have good
countenances, are well behaved,  and  appear
to evince as much  discretion  and judgment
as whites under similar circumstances.   Some
of them hold commissions  in the militia ser-
vice ; one  has  been promoted to the distin-
guished situation of Governor's aid-de-camp ;
and  instead of considering the race as on a
level with brutes,  many of  the white inhabit-
ants deem  them nearly, if not quite, on a
level with themselves.  I listened for a whole
evening  to a  very warm  discussion  of the
question, whether a lady would  be justified
in refusing to  dance with a  negro or mu- 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     65

 latto  at  a  ball; and the  negative  was not
 wanting in supporters.
   It is almost surprising, that so small a num-
 ber of proprietors should have had the public
 spirit and perseverance  to  make such costly
 fine roads,  not only  as  public  highways
 whenever needed, but should also have made
 a good private road  around almost every es-
 tate ;   beautifully  ornamenting  both  with
 palm  and  cocoa-nut trees,  which  cut the
 whole into squares, and  add much  to the
 beauty of the scenery.   On each estate there
 are generally a fine  mansion, a sugar-house,
 windmill, and plenty of negro-houses, all sit-
 uate upon an eminence and interspersed with
 fruit and ornamental trees.  Little attention
 is given, however, to the cultivation of fruits,
 and, in many places, not an orange will be
 seen for miles. Sugar-cane seems  to have
 engrossed the whole  attention  of the  inhabi-
 tants, and crowded out  almost every thing
 else.
   The fact, that sugar-houses are worked by
 wind-mills,  is good  evidence  that there are
plenty of breezes.  They almost always blow
from north-east to south-east; and  such  is
the evenness of temperature, that the ther-
             6* 
66         A  WINTER  IN THE

mometer varies but about four degrees from
calm to  breeze,  and vice versa.  The varia-
tion is seldom greater  between night and day,
and there is, on an  average, less  than ten
degrees difference  between winter and sum-
mer ; during the former ranging from 82° to
86°, and the latter from  88° to 93° or 94°.
The inhabitants have  their  fevers  in the
winter season only, and never very severely.
It is a very common thing to hear one ob-
serve,  "such a  one got the  fever the  other
day, but he is up again."  American visiters,
in some instances,  had a slight  attack, but
very seldom.   On  the  whole,  therefore,  it
must be pronounced a very good climate, not-
withstanding the frequency of showers, and
other evils before mentioned.   Upon careful
examination, I concluded  that the fever and
ague scarcely ever occurred, except in situa-
tions about level with  the sea, where little
creeks from the ocean  set up into the land,
with a rank growth of vegetation  along the
shore, as at and about Bassin; and that stran-
gers were not subject to it, even there, with-
out unnecessary exposure.
   Near Bassin is an estate called Richmond,
beautifully situated, where invalids have oc- 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.     67

casionally been entertained.   The mansion-
house is finely situated on a gentle  elevation
of ground, at  a distance of forty or fifty rods
from  the  street,  with  a fine private  road
adorned with columns of Thibet trees, leading
to it; is surrounded by a fine growth of fruit,
and other ornamental trees, furnishing several
shady  walks; commands a fine view of the
harbour,  and the ocean, on one side, and the
mountains on the other; and on the whole,
has a  very fascinating appearance to stran-
gers.   Learning  that  an American family
was stopping there, I called for the purpose of
procuring  accommodations, in what I con-
sidered the most beautiful  situation in  the
vicinity  of Bassin ;  but could not obtain the
situation, on  account  of the  sickness of its
proprietor.  He was under the influence of a
severe attack of ague, and his  countenance
was as pallid and  woe-begone as any I ever
witnessed, in the worst fever and ague  re-
gions  in Illinois and Ohio.  It occurred to
me, at the time, that his disease must be ow-
ing to the moisture   caused by  the  rank
growth of plants  and trees about his house,
and a little creek near it, along which was a
growth  of trees with foliage of that deep 
68          A WINTER IN THE

green that indicates richness  and dampness
of soil.   Upon inquiry, I ascertained that al-
most every  family  of Americans  that  have
stopped  at the house, have been visited with
similar attacks, and  in some cases with severe
fevers.   In the winter of 1836-7, Mr. Blake,
of Boston, took lodgings there, with his wife
and several children, every  one of whom
had  fevers, or  fever  and  ague.  This is
enough  to show the great importance of se-
lecting a dry situation.  Humidity should be
avoided  as the invalid's worst  enemy,  not
excepting cold.
  With a knowledge of all these particulars,
invalids and their friends can judge upon the
propriety of their  visiting St. Croix.  The
difficulty of getting accommodations in some,
and  of  foreign languages in  others,  of the
West India  islands, has in a  great measure
prevented a fair trial of other places ; and this
being best known,  and most  accessible, has
very naturally been preferred, and whatever
may be  the advantages of other places, will,
no doubt, by many, continue to  be preferred
to all others.
  The currency of St. Croix consists of bank
notes and base coin, with as much gold  and 
        WEST INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.     69

 silver  as they  can get.  The standard of
 value  is pieces of weight, of sixty-four cents
 each, without any coin to  represent it;  sti-
 vers seventy-five to the dollar, made of pew-
 ter,  or something  like that, and  old  bits of
 five stivers  each,  of  the same coin.   This
 does not  much  concern an  American,  except
 to have none of their money on leaving, as it
 is good no  where else.  But  one thing is
 worthy of the traveller's attention, i. e.  the
 kind  of money  he brings  from  home.  A
 Spanish doubloon passes for no more  than a
 patriot, whereas there is generally a dollar
 difference at  New-York.  There is generally
 a  gain on the latter  of twenty-five to fifty
 cents, on  coming here, whereas on Spanish
 there is a loss of seventy-five, or thereabouts,
 as they pass here for only sixteen dollars, and
 generally cost sixteen seventy-five  in New-
 York,  and  are  always  worth  seventeen at
 Havana.
   One word  as to passports, and I shall have
 done with St. Croix.   The Danish authorities
 require no passport from Americans on their
 arrival; but only that passengers  should call at
 the police office, and report themselves.  There
is  no necessity therefore for a passport, from 
70
A WINTER IN  THE
our Government, or from the Danish consul in
our country.  I understood the Danish consul
at New-York  gave several  passports at two
dollars and a half each, telling passengers that
it would  be necessary to have one, or would
preclude  the necessity  of paying for one on
leaving the island; but they were of no use
whatever, because not required.   On leaving
the island, however, a passport must be taken
out here, for which  the fee is  nine dollars
sixty-four cents, to the United States,  two dol-
lars and a half to St. Thomas, and four dollars
to Porto Rico.  This  is  a contrivance to raise
money, and as it is imposed upon their own
citizens, as well as foreigners, we cannot so
much  complain.   It is, however,  at once un-
just towards the Americans,  and  impolitic in
the Santa Crucians.   Eight or nine hundred
dollars  was  extorted  from  us   this  year,
whereas, Danish subjects may freely come to,
go through,  and  depart from our  country,
without  passport,  or  paying fees.  The Go-
vernment will probably find  it for their inter-
est, if not to  dispense  with the  passport, at
least to  reduce  the  fee.  Although not  ne-
cessary, it is always advisable for every Ameri-
can, on leaving his country,  to obtain a pass- 
       WEST  INDIES  AND FLORIDA.      71

port from the Secretary of State, and in going
to most countries it is necessary to have it pre-
sented to and endorsed by a consul, in our coun-
try, of the country to be visited. In case, there-
fore, of concluding to go to other countries, the
passport from home saves some trouble,  as  I
have  dearly learned  by  being without  one.
It is not very consoling to an American, to be
told he cannot go where he pleases, and frus-
trated in all his plans. 
72
A. WINTER IN THE
             CHAPTER  VII.
          Voyage to Trinidad de Cuba.

It is worthy  of remark, as showing the great
ignorance that prevails  as to this as well as
many other  places in the West  Indies, that
my friends expressed the greatest surprise at
my thinking  of going to such a sickly place.
Several  assured me that the yellow fever pre-
vailed there  at all seasons; that the inhabit-
ants were nearly barbarous ; that there was
great danger of robbery ; and that  it would be
impossible to  get a comfortable living, or to
get away by land except by mounting a mule,
as no horses could be had there.   As the cap-
tain I was going with was an old  trader to
that place, information was easily obtained
from him which quieted all such apprehen-
sions;   and on  the  evening of the  sixth of
February I  was  again  upon the   waters,
stretching my way before a whole-sail  trade-
wind at the rate of nine knots an hour.   In
three days  we passed along the south side of
Porto Rico and St. Domingo, with the high 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     73

lands of one or the other constantly in sight to
the very southwesterly extremity of the latter,
where the trade-winds demurred to going any
further, and left us becalmed for three  or four
days, with as bright a sky and pure an at-
mosphere as mortal ever  beheld or breathed.
The trades  are broken by the high promon-
tory at the S. W. extremity of St.  Domingo
and the  elevated  lands  of Jamaica,  nearly
south, a distance  of only about eighty miles;
and consequently the  places to  the westward
are not, like St. Croix and all the Windward
Islands, regularly visited by the plentiful sup-
ply of moisture brought  by a wind regularly
sweeping  two thousand miles of ocean, and
always attracted to the first land it meets in
the shape of copious  and  frequent showers.
The generally moist appearance of the  land
to the windward,  and  the extreme drought to
the leeward, no less than the striking change
in the  air as soon  as the trade-winds  ceased,
confirmed me strongly in this opinion.  Here
the atmosphere was so  pure that we could
distinctly see Jamaica and Cuba at  the same
time, where  they are nearly one  hundred
miles apart.  A land-breeze from the Cuba
shore carried us to Trinidad on  the tenth
           7 
74         A WINTER  IN THE

day of the voyage.  The whole  distance is
about one thousand  miles; and the  passage
was only sixteen dollars in a good brig, with
good accommodations.   It was decidedly the
pleasantest, as well as the cheapest passage,
I had ever made.   Although sea-sick part of
the time, my  health greatly improved during
the voyage, the symptoms of asthma and ca-
tarrh  which  had been  gradually returning
upon me during the latter part of January,
having  entirely vanished;  and when  the
blue mountains of Trinidad, piled to the very
skies  in the  rear  of the city  as a barrier
against  north winds, showed by  their with-
ered herbage and dry sand-banks along their
base,  the entire absence of humidity,  and
the exhilarating  mountain  breeze  restored
energy  to the body and sprightliness to the
mind, I could not but rejoice at the  fortu-
nate exchange of  places; and instead of go-
ing ashore with the feelings  of a  stranger
in a strange land, mine were much more like
those of an exile returning to his home after
a banishment for years to some  cold, inhos-
pitable region. 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     75
             CHAPTER VIII.
              Trinidad de Cuba.

The city of Trinidad is situate in  the pro-
vince of the same name, on the south side of
the island of Cuba, at lat. about 21° 42' N.
  The  site of the town is a  rising ground,
near the  foot of a lofty  range of mountains
running east  and west, about four miles from
the  port  of  Casilda, through which all  its
commercial business is  transacted,  it being
the  only port  of  entry  in  the province.
There is a good harbor,  and  many vessels,
principally  American,  go there for sugars
and  molasses, generally  disposing  of their
outward  cargoes elsewhere.   In the  year
1838, about one hundred American vessels
cleared from that  port — a larger  number
than  those of  all  other nations  together.
The export of sugar and molasses is about one
and a half to two millions of dollars annu-
ally, besides a considerable amount of coffee,
tobacco,  segars,  wild honey,  and beeswax.
It will  be perceived, therefore, that the com- 
76         A WINTER  IN THE
mercial importance of the place is considera-
ble ; and still there is not a single vessel
regularly trading there from New-York,  or
scarcely a New-York merchant who has any
considerable trade with the place.  Portland,
Boston, Philadelphia, and Charleston, nearly
engross the trade.  Casilda  has about five
hundred, and  Trinidad about ten thousand
inhabitants,  about  one  half of whom  are
slaves.   It is the seat  of government of the
province ;  has considerable  internal trade;
and on the whole is a pretty, thriving, stirring
place for  a  Spanish city; but  dull enough
compared with whit it  would be in the hands
of Americans.' In the  United States  it would
be a strange thing to see a city  of ten thou-
sand inhabitants  carrying on a large commer-
cial business through a port four  miles distant,
and  transporting all their merchandize upon
ox-carts, when a railroad would accomplish
the same thing  at  one quarter  the  expense.
But  here, it is enough that a thing has been
done in  a particular manner.   It must con-
tinue to be done  in the same  manner.   It
does no good to suggest improvements.  The
answer always is,  " We get  along very well 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     77

as things are.  We  are not  fond  of experi-
ments," (fee. &c.
  The Trinidad  river, a clear, chrystal  little
stream, comes down from the mountains, run-
ning along by  the westerly side of the city
and furnishing a plentiful  supply of fine wa-
ter.  It is so perfectly dear, as to need no
filtering, and is as  fine  water to drink as
abounds  anywhere, not excepting the  pure
streams from the Green  Mountains  in  Ver-
mont.  It is  dipped  up, put  in jugs, swung
across  mules and horses,  and thus carried
constantly to all parts of the city.   This keeps
the street leading to it continually thronged
with water-carriers — there being more slaves
and beasts thus employed than would be re-
quired to construct,  in six  months,  water-
works  that would conduct a supply to every
house  in the city.   But this would savour
too much of improvement.   They are  very
well satisfied as it is, and what do they want
more?
  Before going to the city I  remained a day
or two at Casilda.  The land  for a mile along
the beach is low and sandy, and the shore is
bordered by  a growth of bushes, under which
the tide ebbs  and  flows.   These  circum-
             V 
78;
A WINTER IN THE
stanees, together with the fact  that  several
seamen on board  vessels in  the harbour
were  down with fevers, led  me to suspect
the place  unhealthy.   But on  examination
and inquiry, I learned to  my entire satisfac-
tion, that notwithstanding these  appearances,
even the port of Casilda, which is far  less fa-
vourably  situate than  Trinidad, was  as
healthy as any in  the West Indies.  The
water  circulates  freely through the bushes  ;
the shore  is dry; and as to  the  fevers, in
every instance they had  occurred  on board
vessels just arrived from St. Jago de Cuba,.
Kingston, Jamaica, or  St. Thomas.  Masters
of vessels who had traded there for  twenty
years, assured  me that they never had a man
sicken while lying in that port, but that they
scarcely ever  went  to either of the  above
named places,  but  some  of their  men
had  severe attacks  of fever.  As  many of
the vessels trading here were in the habit of
discharging their outward cargoes  at  one of
those places, and coming directly here for
homeward freights,  the frequent   cases  of
fever imported  from thence had given rise to
such rumours  as those I heard at  St. Croix,
about yellow fever  prevailing here.   So ter- 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     79

rible is the horror of this disease, especially
at the north, where it is little known,  that
there are  thousands who could not be  per-
suaded to go to a place where  it was  ru-
moured to  prevail,  on  any consideration;
supposing  death  would be  almost inevi-
table.  Whereas, it is  nothing more or less
than  a severe  attack of bilious  fever ; and
with  prompt treatment,  is cured nine cases
out of ten.  Two of the men on board the
vessel I came in, which had been lying some
time at St. Thomas, had attacks on  the pas-
sage ; and for want of a physician, I bled,
gave emeticks, and cured them.   The inhab-
itants of  Casilda, one  and all,, declared that
the place  was entirely healthy.
   Two or  three  days  after my arrival, in
eompany  with a fellow-passenger,  I took a
catrina (as it  is here  called,) and rode to
town.  It was nothing more nor less, in plain
English,  than  a horse and gig, with a negro
boy mounted on the horse as a substitute for
reins.  This mode of riding did not suit us
exactly, the negro not understanding a word
of English, nor we of Spanish, leaving us en-
tirely at his mercy, as  to where and how he
should go.   My companion  expressed some 
80
A WINTER IN THE
concern at another thing, to wit:  that  the
horse was such a perfect phantom of an ani-
mal, and the negro so small, that if we should
happen to lean back in our  seats, the whole
concern would be thrown over our heads in
a backward  somerset.  Our fears were soon
quieted, for away we went upon  a full gal-
lop, over stones a foot high, and holes as deep,
for four miles, all the way up hill, and arrived
in perfect safety.  As to  the  animal, he had
been gallopped up and down that sandy road,
in the hot sun, so long, that he shoAved no
symptoms of fatigue, and appeared  no  more
capable of perspiration than  the dry sand he
travelled over.  There are a great many of
these  catrinas  constantly running up  and
down for  passengers, at seventy-five cents a
trip, each way, for two or one.  A stage also
goes once or  twice  a day, each way, at fifty
cents a passenger.   The road is  wide enough
for  several  tracks, so as to admit of  full
speed in spite of the ox-carts  strung along
the way.  As we ascended  towards the city,
with its neat  picturesque view before us, and
the  exhilarating mountain breeze absorbing
perspiration and neutralizing the  effect of a
noon-day sun, I could not help thinking of, 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     81

and feeling too, the favourable contrast be-
tween this  place  and St. Croix,  in almost
every particular that  concerns an invalid.
Strike out the good roads, English language,
and boarding-houses of  St. Croix,  and there
would be nothing left that would bear  any
comparison  with Trinidad.
  On entering the city, my first  favourable
impressions were  strongly  confirmed.   The
streets are regular,  well paved, and  clean;
the houses  generally of stone,  whitewashed
outside, tiled roofs, one story high,  with brick
or stone floors laid  on the ground, and the
wood-work  inside of red cedar: built in this
manner, they are cheap, cool, comfortable, and
almost everlasting.  As there was not a single
person in the place I had ever seen, and there
were  no American  boarding-houses, I  felt
some apprehension  about comfortable quar-
ters.  I had, however, a letter of introduction
from  the Vice-Consul at St.  Croix to the Con-
sul at Trinidad, whomsoever  he  might be,
and the master of the vessel had  introduced
me to the consignee; and  with these aids  I
went on,  without  further concern.   The
Consul received me very politely, and  invited
me to dine with him, and,  if I could  not do 
 82         A  WINTER  IN THE

 better, to take board at the same place he did,
 finding a room elsewhere, and  furnishing it
 for myself.  He had done so himself, and for-
 merly ate at a Spanish tavern, of which there
 were plenty, supplying two meals at one dol-
 lar per day, but he found the living too bad to
 be continued, and had now,  together with three
 or four other American boarders, hired a neigh-
 bour to give them their meals in the best room
 of  a cigar manufactory.   I  mention  these
 circumstances to show that style  of living was
 here but little thought of.  Many of the first
 business men in the place have their tables set
 in  the stores  or shops,  always  taking care,
 however, to have something good to eat  upon
 them, which is not always the case at the
 Spanish taverns, where the table is  set  on
 speculation at fifty cents a meal.  After dining
 with the consul, I was soon made acquainted
 with  all  the  Americans  in the  place,  about
 fifteen in  number, also with several Spanish
 merchants and planters, who spoke English.
 Mr. Lynn, a merchant, formerly of Charleston,
S. C, ordered my baggage  sent to his house,
and very politely invited me to  take my meals
with him while I remained in town, refusing,
however, to receive any compensation  what- 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.      83

ever.   His wife was a  Spanish lady, and of
course the mode of living was Spanish; but I
must  say it suited me  as well as any I had
ever found: a cup of coffee, without milk, in
the morning; breakfast, with coffee and milk,
at 9 o'clock a. m. ; dinner at 3 p. m., with sweet-
meats for dessert, followed by coffee and cigars;
and a cup of chocolate, (fee,  in the evening.
The market supplies  plenty of good beef, pork,
fowls, wild birds, &c. (fee, with plenty of good
vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, plantains,
bananas, cabbages, turnips, radishes, (fee (fee
Indian corn flourishes at all times of the year,
and there is always plenty of green corn in
the market.  The domestic rice is very good,
and is much used.  There are generally or-
anges in the market, but not  in abundance;
pine-apples  in  their season, (fee (fee   The
river water is  extremely good, and, on the
whole, no one  can wish a better living  than
can here be had; but a  tavern is not the place
to  look for it.   Whenever invalids have  been
here, they have generally stopped with some
of the few American families; and many have,
no doubt, been deterred from coming from an
apprehension of being a burthen to those who
were not prepared  to entertain boarders, and 
84         A WINTER IN THE

were unwilling to receive any compensation
from those who  were taken in, because they
had nowhere else to go.
   As  to  climate, no place can offer greater
advantages to  invalids than  this.   For  nine
months in the year no such thing as  rain is
ever known, except, perhaps, sprinkles of two
or three minutes, and those like angels' visits,
" few and far between."   Hence the dryness
of soil, which admits of laying the floors on the
ground.  At first I could not believe it possi-
ble for the air of the room to be dry, but dur-
ing a fortnight found  no more appearance of
moisture in the air, than if the floor had been
ten feet  from  the ground, and made of two
thicknesses  of kiln-dried  plank.   At first  I
kept myself in during the evening, supposing
the night air might be like that of St. Croix,
but soon found it entirely harmless.  Indeed,
the evening was much pleasanter than the
day time, for it  was always  warm enough,
and never too warm.  The entire  absence of
moisture in the atmosphere gives  a clearness
to the sky and a brilliancy to the moon-light,
beyond anything I  ever  witnessed   else-
where.  It is a  common practice here to sit
in the evening uncovered in the open air, a 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     85

thing that  would  very properly have been
looked upon as madness at St. Croix.  At
times,  however,   the  north  wind  prevails
with sufficient force to make the evenings un-
pleasant, and, as a general rule, delicate inva-
lids had better not expose themselves to the
evening  air, except in the mildest  weather.
The mountains, though near enough  to pre-
vent  excessive  heat,  are  too  far distant to
cause sudden transitions of temperature.   The
absence  of moisture  in the atmosphere may
not prove beneficial to all classes of  invalids;
but as the evaporation from the ocean, in some
degree, obviates  the  deficiency of rain, it  is
believed that very few cases  would  suffer
from the dryness  of  the air.  In affections  of
the mucus  membranes, with copious expecto-
ration, this climate will prove highly benefi-
cial.   The absence of humidity is one of the
most essential requisites of a good climate.  I
fully  concur in the  following  remarks from
Clark on Climate  and Diseases, p. 121:
   " Of all  the physical qualities of the air,
humidity  is the  most  injurious to  human
life ;  and, therefore, in selecting situations for
 building, particular regard should be had  to
 the circumstances which  are  calculated  to
              8 
86          A WINTER IN THE
obviate humidity either in  the soil or atmos-
phere.  Dryness, with  a free circulation  of
air and a full exposure to the  sun, are the
material things to be attended to in choosing
a residence.  A  person may, I believe, sleep
with  perfect safety in the centre of the Pon-
tine marshes, by having his room kept well
heated by a fire during the night."
   In the day time, although the sun shines very
bright, there is always breeze enough coming
down from the mountains to prevent the heat
being oppressive, and, occasionally, dry floating
clouds cast a pleasant shade over the land.  I
could endure five times the exercise during
the day that I could at St. Croix, and with
less fatigue. Umbrellas were of course out of
fashion here, the showers being none, and the
sun's rays in winter at least harmless.  It was
a long time before I could trust myself abroad
without my umbrella when clouds  were in
sight, which was very often ; but finding they
never leaked like those of St. Croix,  I  soon
went where I pleased, without overcoat, cloak,
thick  boots, or umbrella, and  "saw  the sun
set, sure he would rise to-morrow."  Twice it
sprinkled  enough just to lay  the dust,  and
that was all the rain during more than two 
       WEST INDIES AND  FLORIDA.     87

weeks.  In July, August, and September, the
rainy season, as it is called, showers are fre-
quent, the  ground is more moist, and fevers
are somewhat prevalent, but there is no great
danger, without unnecessary exposure to the
sun.  As to heat, it is not an evil much  to be
apprehended, for  it was remarked by the in-
habitants, and I believe very  correctly, that
there was no time in the year when one could
not  be  cool enough in the shade,  or warm
enough in the  sunshine.   The  thermometer
generally ranges  from 75° to 80° during the
day in winter, and from 80° to 85° in the
summer.   There are none  of those extremes
of heat which  we  experience at the north;
and if at  any  time it  should be  found too
warm within two hours' ride up the moun-
tains,  woollen  clothing  by day, and  thick
blankets at night,  are necessary protections
against the cold.  The  winds  are variable,
generally blowing from all points of the com-
pass during every  twenty-four hours,  with
a gentle land breeze from the north at morn-
ing and evening.   This is very pleasant; but
at times north winds prevail for  two or  three
days in succession,  making  the   Spaniards
shiver, and put on cloaks at morning and eve- 
88          A WINTER IN THE

ning.  They are nothing, however, like what
are called northers at Havana, Matanzas, and
all along the north side of the island, there
being sixty to seventy  miles of high moun-
tainous land to break their force and  mode-
rate  their  temperature.  About  the  25th of
February^ I witnessed  some of  the  coldest
weather that had  happened,  as  I was in-
formed,  in several years; and  although the
air felt cool enough  to  be a little unpleasant
at morning and evening, it did not affect me
as unfavourably as  the worst weather in Janu-
ary did  at  St. Croix,  for I had not a  single
breath of asthma, nor an appearance of cough,
while I remained there.  I ate heartily, slept
soundly, and increased in flesh and strength
during the whole  time,, and  never passed  a
fortnight as  pleasantly  in a strange  place
before.
  The kindness and politeness of my country-
men and their Spanish friends, no doubt con-
tributed greatly to my happiness;  but the sur-
passing  excellence of the climate was more
important than every thing else.  There was
but a single cause of uneasiness  during the
whole time, and that  was the refusal of the
governor to, give me a passport for Havana, or 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     89

let me go in any way, except to embark in the
same vessel that brought me.  As in that  case
I should be  carried  into  Philadelphia in
March, the  very worst month in the whole
year,  it did not please me much.  Several of
my friends interceded, but with no effect, the
governor insisting that  his  instructions were
absolute, to let no one pass without a passport
certified  by  a Spanish consul in the country
where it was obtained, specifying the object
in visiting the island.  As I had only a Dan-
ish passport,  not certified at all, he thought it
impossible to oblige me without disobeying
his  instructions.  Finally, Count Brunet,  a
nobleman more by nature and feeling than
on account of his Spanish titles, or his income
of a hundred thousand dollars a year, called
personally upon his excellency the Governor,
and persuaded  him to make my case an ex-
ception,  on  the  ground that  there  was  no
Spanish consul at St. Croix by whom a pass-
port could be certified, and I was not immedi-
ately  from my  own country.   This had the
desired effect; but still it must  appear to be
done  through some other influence.  So  I
only had to go  through the form of getting a
communication from our consul to  the  go-
             8* 
90          A WINTER IN THE

vernor, stating the case, and getting the same
interpreted, when I was once more free to go
where I pleased.  I mention this for two pur-
poses.  First, to apprise others of the import-
ance of having their passports regular when
going to a foreign country ;  and secondly, as
a public acknowledgment of my obligations to
Count  Brunet.   How different was  his con-
duct from what thousands of our  citizens,
who think their wealth and distinction exempt
them from such acts of courtesy, would have
been under  like circumstances.  This is not
an isolated case ; but,  on the contrary, seldom
does an American visit Trinidad without in
some way or other finding occasion to acknow-
ledge his obligations to the same distinguished
individual.  It is the  more striking, from the
fact, that another  distinguished  individual
of the  same place, with not  only sufficient
wealth to build him  the best house  in the
island, but also to purchase  a pitiful title from
the government of Spain, although an Ameri-
can by birth, sets himself above his country-
men, and never,  or seldom,  takes the trouble
to ascertain  whether they are in want  of his
aid or not.
  On the day of my arrival, a famous mur- 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     91

derer had been  executed  upon the garotid, a
sort  of machine to choke  criminals to death
without suspending  them in  the  air.  The
culprit sits down in  a  chair,  puts his head
back against  a support  prepared for it, a ne-
gro then puts on a kind of neck-yoke, fetches
it  up snug to the throat,  and when the ap-
pointed hour arrives, turns a screw behind,
which produces instantaneous death.  From
the great excitement  produced by this execu-
tion, it was apparent that  capital crimes were
not  very  frequent.   No one  expressed any
sympathy for the culprit;  but, on the contra-
ry, many regretted  that  so great a villain
should escape with so little punishment.  Ac-
cording to his own  confession, he had com-
mitted twenty-eight murders;. and instead  of
showing any signs of penitence, regretted,  in
his last moments, that  he had not an oppor-
tunity to commit more.  He said that all the
tortures  that could  be inflicted  upon him
could not equal  those which he had inflicted
upon others ; that he had always expected  to
be executed at last,  and meant  now to meet
his fate with  fortitude.  When the fatal. hour
arrived, he sat composedly down, got up, said
the seat  was too low, had it  raised,  and  sat 
92
A WINTER IN THE
down  again with  perfect composure.  After
the execution  the  head was  cut  off, carried
away in a sack, and the body taken away on
a cart.   The head was  afterwards put on  a
pole, in a kind of cage, by the way-side, as a
terror to evil-doers.  Such exhibitions  make
a lasting impression upon the public mind,.
and, when not too frequent,, produce a salu-
tary effect; but when  too often repeated, in-
stead of deterring  from crime,, only  tend  to
make men  cruel  and  ferocious.   On my
arrival,  I  anticipated  much  pleasure   in
riding   over  the  elevated  mountains   in
the vicinity of the  city; but soon found the
task not quite so pleasant.  I at first  made
the experiment of ascending what appeared to
be a small hill, just in  the rear of the city, and
some miles from the  foot of the mountain.
Although  a mere  trifle  compared  with its
neighbors, it was more than five hundred feet
high, and two  or three hours' ride  was neces-
sary to visit its summit  and return again.
The ascent  was by a rugged path, winding
about among  the  rocks,, so  steep  in many
places that an inexperienced animal could not
have made his way;  but the  little pony  I
rode went up as nimbly as a eat, and showed 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.      93

no signs of fatigue.  Near the summit I ob-
served arch-ways, or caves,  under strata of
limestone, apparently worn as by the wash-
ing of the  sea;  and found, on examination,
incontestible evidence that the same had once
formed the shore  of  the  ocean.  The arch-
ways had been  worn by the beating of the
surges; and the gravelly shore, with marine
shells  scattered along beneath, left  no room
for doubt as to  the  fact,  that these  mighty
masses of rocks had been thrown up  to their
present elevation by volcanic eruptions, or
other  convulsions of Nature.  Leaving  the
caves, I proceeded onward  to  the summit^
and gazed in silent admiration upon the beauty
and grandeur of the surrounding scenes.   On
the east, the rich cane-fields were spread out
in the distance ; on the north, a beautiful river
wound  along  between   the  hills  hundreds
of  feet below;  in the rear,  lofty mountains
rose majestically  to the  clouds; and on  the
south, the city, the harbour, the shipping, and
the vast expanse of blue  waters, presented  a
scene  of  mingled  beauty  and  sublimity.
However highly  pleased  with  this experi-
ment, it was  enough to  convince  me of the
 utter impracticability of  ascending  the moun^ 
94          A WINTER  IN THE

tains, without going prepared to camp  out
over-night, which would not be very pleasant
in the winter-season.   Many of the  higher
ridges are almost inaccessible; but along the
valleys between them, several hundred  feet
above the level of the ocean, there are tolera-
ble  roads.  The  country  is   settled,   and
abounds with fine coffee estates.
  Mr. Carrot, a wealthy merchant, and  plant-
er,  invited three or four Americans to visit
his  estate, situate in the great valley of Trini-
dad, about fifteen miles to the eastward of the
city; and, mounted on  horseback,  with his
clerk for a conductor, at about 4 o'clock, p. m.,
we  pushed off into the country.
  A ride  of  about  three miles over a  sandy
soil, covered  with  wild bushes, and  a poor
road, winding along just  where  it  could be
made easiest, or rather, just where the  first
travellers chose to  go, (for that is the way it
was  made,) we arrived  at  the first sugar
estate I  had seen  in  Trinidad,  the  soil
near the city not being of a suitable quality.
For twelve miles through  the great valley of
the province, we found almost one continuous
growth of cane, with the road generally run-
ning along the boundaries  of estates, with no 
        WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     95

 fences between :  several estates together with
 the  road itself,  however,  being  fenced into
 large enclosures,  with gates here and there,
 and a negro  standing by to open and shut
 them.   There  were plenty  of palm and
 cocoa-nut trees,   of natural  growth,  about
 the  country, but very few set out in regular
 columns, like those of St. Croix.   The estate
 of Mr. C. was situate on  the  east bank of the
 Manati river, which runs through the  valley,
 emptying into the ocean  about fifteen miles to
 the  windward, or easterly of the  city.  The
 stream  was now low and clear,  but its high
 and torn banks  showed plainly  that  in  the
 rainy season, instead of a slumbering infant, it
 was a raging monster, tearing everything be-
 fore it in its resistless progress.  A  splendid
 mansion was standing on the bank, several feet
 above high water mark, giving it a command-
 ing view of the surrounding scenery.   With-
 out observing it much by moonlight, however,
 we all felt more inclined for supper than any-
 thing else, and accordingly entered the man-
sion, which had been  closed, but  which the
clerk was sent to open for our accommoda-
tion.  All the rooms and supplies the  house
afforded were  made free to us, and we fared 
96          A WINTER IN THE

sumptuously and slept soundly.  The  next
morning, at daylight, we took a view of as
rich a  scene as was   ever  spread  out by
nature and art  combined.  The deep rich
green of the cane on  every  side; the palm
trees  wildly spread  over  the whole;  the
fine mansions of the planters and the smoke
of those Yankee improvements, the steam en-
gines, with which the  cane is now ground;
with a beautiful river winding its way quietly
along the  centre; while on  the north, east,
and west,  majestic mountains, with  cragged
peaks, towered aloft to the  very skies, con-
spired to form a scene of surpassing beauty, as
well as  grandeur and sublimity.
  From this extended  view, we entered the
garden  to witness not lesser beauties, but
beauties on a smaller scale.   It abounded in
all  the  West India fruits  and flowers, and
was laid  out in  American style, Mrs. C. be-
 ing an American lady.  In addition to all
that was  tasty and elegant, a part of it was
devoted to the  production of the useful, as
well as elegant vegetables of the north : toma-
 toes,  cabbages,  turnips,  radishes,   onions,
beets, carrots, &e, (fee  To  find oneself in  a
rich beautiful garden  like this, with a bright 
       WEST INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.     97

sun and clear sky to heighten its beauty, and
then reflect, that at the same moment the in-
habitants of New-York were gathered round
a coal fire, or, wrapped in overcoats  and
cloaks, hastening,  half frozen through  the
streets, too fast to recognize their friends, was
enough of itself to compensate for a  voyage
to the West Indies, with all its horrors of sea-
sickness.
  From the garden we  went to the sugar-
works, which  were on a scale rather larger
than those  of  St. Croix.    The  estate  con-
sisted of two thousand acres of land, and was
worked by two  hundred   slaves.   Slavery
appeared here rather more severe than at St.
Croix, for some  of the slaves had  chains
around their necks, and the marks of the lash
upon their backs.  Windmills were  not re-
lied upon for grinding cane, as at St. Croix;
and the mills upon this estate were propelled
by oxen, of which  eighty pair were  kept for
this and other purposes.  Clayed sugar  only
was manufactured here, whereas nothing but
muscovado was made at St. Croix.   Instead
of putting it in hogsheads  to drain, it is put
in earthern jars, called purging pans, taper-
ing to a  point, with a small hole in the bot-
              9 
98          A WINTER IN THE

torn.  After the molasses has drained  out, in
part, a layer of clay is put over the surface,
which purges the sugar of impurities, and
divides it into different qualities:  first,  a layer
of very fine white, then a layer of good, and
at the bottom a  residue of  inferior  brown
sugar.   The molasses  is caught  from these
pans,  and  conducted   to a reservoir, from
whence  it  is  pumped  up  when wanted.
Three thousand purging pans were used at
this establishment: and in  sugar  and  molas-
ses, the  estate  produced about  seventy-five
thousand  dollars  per  annum.   The  neigh-
bouring  estates were  about  as  large, and
many of them were worked by steam engines
to great  advantage.  The  use of them will
soon become general.   The Spaniards, how-
ever,  are  slow to adopt improvements.   All
the cedar boards  for building are sawed by
hand, no one daring to try  the experiment of
a steam saw-mill.  All the  sugar  and  molas-
ses from this great valley are first carried to
the river on ox-carts,  then taken  down  the
river, and along the  coast,  to  Casilda,  in
lighters.   When the wind blows from  the
north, the lighters cannot get up the river on
account of shoal water, and thus  vessels  are 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     99
sometimes detained a month before getting a
cargo.  A railroad of twenty miles would take
the whole to the port with the greatest speed,
going through the city, and thus furnishing a
communication between the city and Casilda.
But that would be too much  of a Yankee
notion to suit the Spaniards.  They are so
much opposed to  improvements, that when
Mr. C. improved the road along his estate by
making it straight  where it  had  been crooked,
they tried to get the old road restored, alleging
that it was shorter than the new one.
   After  passing the day very  pleasantly,  in
the evening we mounted our horses and went
to town  again, without overcoat or even wool-
len clothing.  I could here ride fifteen  miles
in the evening with perfect impunity.   Asth-
ma and  cough for a week afterwards would
have been sure to follow in any other climate
I have ever found.
   On the  22d of  February,  the  birth-day of
Washington,  about  fifteen Americans,  with
four or five distinguished Spanish gentlemen
as  invited  guests, partook of a sumptuous
public dinner provided for the occasion.   In
a foreign  land it was highly  gratifying to
meet even a small party of our  countrymen, 
 100        A WINTER IN THE

 with  the flag of our country floating above,
 and our hearts  beating with patriotism with-
 in, assembled to pay a tribute of respect, not
 to a king or tyrant, but to the memory  of an
 individual with  no title but that  of " Father
 of his Country."  We were all doubly grati-
 fied to find that  the band of music  employed
 for the occasion could regale us  with "Hail
 Columbia," and other national airs.  The day
 was delightful, as were all  the days I passed
 at Trinidad, and every thing passed off finely.
 Several spirited  volunteer toasts were drank,
 among which were the following:—
   "The  Great  Man  whose  birth ine cele-
 brate—His  body moulders  in  the  dust, but
 his spirit is  abroad  in  the world, and  its
 impulse will be  felt to the end of  time."
   "America, the Light-House of the World—
 May  its  rays penetrate the darkest regions,
 and conduct the most benighted nations to
 the grand harbour of republicanism."
   "The American Flag—It is found  waving
in every port on earth, and  respected wher-
 ever found."
  "Americans  abroad—May  they  always
find friends,  and always deserve  them."
  "The State of Virginia—The birth-place 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    101

of Washington, Jefferson, and Madison, three
most illustrious men of an illustrious age."
  " The United States of America, a Con-
stellation of Bright Stars of various aspects,
hut equal  lustre—May  they rival those of
heaven in perpetuity as they do in brilliancy."
  More might be  given, but these are suffi-
cient  to show the  prevailing feeling.   It was
amusing to witness the surprise of some igno-
rant Spaniards that so great a parade  should
be made about any body but "the king."
  The time  for  my  departure was  draw-
ing  near,  and  never did  I leave a  place
with   so  much   regret.   My  health  had
constantly improved,  and  although   I  had
experienced  some  of the  severest weather
that  had happened for several years,  there
had   been   scarcely  an   hour   when  I
could say it was  too  cold.  From observa-
tion  and experience,  as well  as  from the
natural causes above detailed,  I cannot en-
tertain a doubt that  it is  a better place for
invalids than I have  ever  seen or read of
In point of climate, it is as far superior to St.
Croix, as good champaign© is to  bad cider.
Good medical attendance can always be pro-
cured, at moderate charges.   There are seve-
              9,* 
102         A WINTER IN THE
ral good physicians, one of whom, Dr. Can-
taro, was educated in our country, and  of
course speaks English,  as  well  as  Spanish.
The usual charge is one dollar a visit in the
city.  But like all other places, it  has its
faults ; and it was often remarked, that though
the climate was as good as could be,  there
was scarcely any  thing but that to make  a
residence there desirable.  The Creoles of the
place are  a lazy, idle class  of men,  who are
content to have nothing, except what comes
without exertion,  and are opposed to all kinds
of improvements and innovations.  No pains
are taken to cultivate fruit, (fee <fce, but if any-
thing grows, it is pretty much spontaneous.
There are no boarding-houses, except Span-
ish taverns, which would not suit Americans,
and not a Spaniard can be found who would
deviate from the  beaten tract for any  hire.
The roads out of the city are rather  bad,
though passable;  and though there are plenty
of horses and carriages  to be  let, the hire  is
high, being two  dollars  a day  for a saddle
horse,  and about five for a catrina, or horse
and gig.   If some American would under-
take to open  a house  for invalids,  he would
do well; and besides^ it would obviate more 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     103
than half the objections to their going there.
Horses are cheap, and he could keep enough
for  his  own  boarding-house ;  rent is cheap
also ; and on the whole, notwithstanding the
high price of flour, there being ten dollars the
barrel duty, I have no doubt, good board can
be  supplied at ten dollars per week, and a
profit made at that.  Indeed,  an  invalid can
hire his own  room, and take  his meals at a
tavern,  at about the same rate, but his living
will not be as good.  The best  way is for
several  to combine, hire a house and servants,
and live in their own way ; taking with  them
such articles of furniture, (fee (fee  as they may
need, upon which  no duties  will be asked.
A carriage cannot be brought however  with-
out a high duty ; horses can be bought cheap,
say from  thirty to one  hundred dollars, and
the keeping is only about two dollars and a
quarter per week;  on the whole,  it is my
choice in  preference to all other places.  The
Spanish language is something of an objection,
but not very serious, where there are thirty or
forty inhabitants who speak English ; to some
it may be an advantage, for they can learn the
language  when they would otherwise  have
done nothing at all.  As to the fear of robberv 
104        A  WINTER  IN THE
and jealousy of the Spaniards, there is nothing
in it.   They are dark complexioned, but not
a whit the worse for that.  When I first went
there, my apprehensions  were great;  I looked
at every body  and  every thing with a suspi-
cious  eye, and never went  out without being
armed.   But  after ascertaining how much
more  strictly the laws are enforced, than in our
own country;  wandering about among a pop-
ulation of ten thousand for a fortnight without
observing an assault and battery, row, or riot,
or even so much as a drunken man, along the
streets; learning that crimes  were more rare
than any where in our country ; and what was
more  than all,  finding every Spaniard evincing
five times the  kindness  and politeness to an
American, that we  would generally extend to
a Spaniard, I must  confess that my apprehen-
sions were altogether unfounded.  Travellers
in the country, generally, go armed, not for
fear of robbers, but to keep the slaves in awe :
a very prudent precaution, where they are so
much more numerous than the  whites.  In
one week, I felt as safe as though I had a body-
guard constantly in attendance.  Every one
who has tried it,  will say the same thing.  But
still, we do not like the Spanish Government. 
     WEST  INDIES AND  FLORIDA.      105

If Cuba belonged to our Government, its pop-
ulation  would  double  in two years,  and
quadruple in less than  five, for no place on
earth  enjoys  a  finer climate than some parts
of it, or greater  natural resources^ 
106        A WINTER IN THE
            CHAPTER  IX.
     Voyage, &c, to Batabanno and Havana.

A steamboat runs from St. Jago de Cuba to
Batabanno, opposite Havana, and back again,
once a month, touching at all the principal
intermediate places.  The passage from Trin-
idad to Batabanno  is twenty  dollars;  but
being out  of time, I took a Spanish packet-
schooner,  a regular coaster  also, sailed on the
sixth of March, and arrived  at the port of des-
tination after a pleasant passage of two days.
It was the first time I had ever embarked on
board a foreign  vessel; and  it seemed  odd
enough to find  a schooner of one hundred
tons manned with a  full crew  of  ten men ;
whereas an American  ship of seven hundred
tons would be managed by the same number,
and such a schooner by four men.  No won-
der our vessels can underbid all  the world in
carrying  freight, with  such a great  saving  of
labor.  The change of climate, though not of
temperature,  was  perceptible  immediately
on  going ashore — the ground being low and 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    107
swampy, and the atmosphere humid and ap-
parently unwholesome.  It is,  in  truth, so
bad, that the village of Batabanno is  loca-
ted three miles from the coast,  on  dry land,
but still only a few feet above the level of the
swamp.   Mules and horses were soon provi-
ded to take the passengers and baggage,  a dis-
tance  of about twelve miles,  to the railroad
leading to Havana.   After leaving the swamp,
we found a rich level soil, with abundance of
oranges and other fruits; but every thing in-
dicated  a great superabundance of moisture.
Water was  every where  found by digging
four feet, and the rank growth of  vegetation
plainly indicated the frequency  of rain.  Our
 ride, however, was pleasant  in the extreme.
 Even the wild forests abounded with oranges,
 as beautiful, but not as sweet, as the cultiva-
 ted fruit.  We passed several beautiful coffee
 estates  in  full bloom,  surpassing  in beauty
 any  other  plantations  I had ever seen.   It
 takes the coffee tree three years to produce
 the first crop.   The leaves are bright green,
 resembling in colour those of the orange, but
 the trees are not allowed to grow  over about
 three or four feet high, the tops being cut off
 from time to time  to  keep them on a proper 
108        A WINTER IN  THE
level.  This uniformity of height, the  regu-
larity of the rows, the beautiful white  blos-
soms, and  the  heavy  growth  of  plantains
towering above for the purpose of shade,
give  a  coffee  estate  a  remarkably   fine
appearance.  Many  of them  are  adorned
also with fine  ornamental gardens and ele-
gant buildings.
  In a few  hours I was at the railroad depot,
thirty miles from Havana, and felt once  more
like being at home.   I had not heard a  word
of English for several days, and it did me
good, in the absence of our language, to  come
in contact  with an improvement that might
well be called our own, for this very  work
has been planned and constructed so far by
American  skill, the  superintendents,*  engi-
neers,  &e, &c,  being all  Americans.  A
branch of this road is to be  continued to Ba-
tabanno,  which will make  a communication
by steam, from Havana to Trinidad, at about
twenty-five dollars expense.  There is only an
ascent and descent  of about one hundred
feet in crossing the island, and the general
appearance of the soil  and surface of the
country is  not unlike  western New-York in
the summer season.   The country along the 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    109

railroad is principally devoted to the culture of
vegetables  for the  Havana market, and ap-
pears much like  the vicinity of one of our
own  cities.   Every thing looked rich and
productive; the  soil and  atmosphere  were
both damp, and, as I was wafted along at fif-
teen miles per hour, I could hardly resist the
impression that I  was passing through a part
of my own State.   However rich this coun-
try, it did not require a moment's observation
to see  that it was an unfit place for  invalids.
Before arriving at Havana, the  cold had in-
creased to such  an extent as  to  make it
necessary to shut the windows of the  cars,
whereas, but two hours before, every one was
complaining  of the heat.   On arriving, the
first business  was to put on woollen clothing,
and thick boots;  which  fairly  prepared me
to sally forth and  see the city.
10 
110        A WINTER IN THE
             CHAPTER  X.
                  Havana.

Here were invalids in abundance, shivering
with cold on the 10th of March, and without
exception, as far as my limited observation
extended, complaining of the climate.  From
inhabitants and visiters,  I could  hear  of
nothing  but northers, which had been blow-
ing nearly half the time, as they said, during
the winter.   The  general  moisture  of the
high upland soil in the vicinity,  as well  as
the mud-puddles along the streets of the  city,
showed  that  there  had  been  abundance  of
rain here, while it was entirely dry  at Trini-
dad.  Besides this, a damp, clammy  atmos-
phere, a  cold cloudy sky, with a vinegar as-
pect, confirmed me entirely in the opinion
before  formed  from  information,  that   the
northerly side of Cuba, open to  the full sweep
of winds from the United States, and the At-
lantic on the north, was at  best an ill-chosen
resort for invalids, compared with those above 
       WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.    Ill

described.  The  city  is  finely situated  on
high ground, with one of the best protected,
and, in other  respects, best harbours  in the
world.  It is  strongly fortified, entrenched,
and walled, presenting the general  appear-
ance  of a  European  city.   The  antique
and venerable looking churches,  convents,
prisons, forts,  &e, give to this city  an  ap-
pearance of age  and respectability unequal-
led by any other in America.   The streets,
however,   are very  narrow,   simply wide
enough  for two carriages to  pass,  without
sidewalks, and crowded  with  carriages and
carts,  besides multitudes on  foot, of every
shape,  colour, and  variety of the   human
species,  from the  most  potent Spanish  na-
bob to the  most  miserable  mulattoes and
slaves. The  buildings  are generally built
of  stone  and  mortar,  from  two  to  four
stories high.   The  streets   are  generally
filthy  ; and,  with  a little  lime-gas from
the walls and effluvia from the  streets, the
atmosphere appeared to me much better cal-
culated  to  produce  yellow  fever than  to
restore diseased lungs, or otherwise  produce
benefit to any class of invalids.  The floors 
 112        A  WINTER  IN THE

 are also made of a  sort  of composition  of
 lime-cement, which, together with the  mois-
 ture gathered  from  a damp atmosphere by
 heavy  stone-walls, make the apartments not
 very pleasant to feeble invalids.  The popu-
 lation is about  one hundred and eighty thou-
 sand ;  nearly half of which, however, is with-
 out the walls,  by far the  pleasantest part  of
 the  city.   There  are  several fine public
 squares, supplied with water-fountains;  and
 without the walls is a beautiful public prome-
 nade, at the further extremity of which  is sit-
uated a splendid botanic garden  and the gov-
 ernor's palace.   This garden is thrown open
to the  public on Sunday;-  and  thither all the
beauty and fashion of the cityr with almost
every thing else, resort to enjoy the beauties
of the scene.  I visited it on the day after my
arrival,  when  the  north  wind had ceased
blowing, the clouds had mostly dispersed, giv-
ing to the whole city a much more favourable
aspect  than it had the day before.   But still,
as regards  a residence for  invalids, my opin-
ion was unchanged.  In addition  to the dis-
advantage  of the  rains  and northers,  it  is
almost  twice as expensive  living there  as  at 
       WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.     113

St. Croix, Trinidad, or almost any other place
in the West Indies.   Board costs fifteen to
twenty-five  dollars per week, which, together
with the thousand incidental expenses of  a
great city, makes more than most invalids are
willing and able to pay.   There were inva-
lids  here  from  Matanzas,  which is situated
about forty miles to the north-east, and, from
their account, without going there, I  was en-
tirely satisfied it was not essentially different
from Havana in point of fitness for invalids. In
the country, however, fifteen or twenty miles
from either place, the climate is better than at
either city;  and  several  invalids have passed
winters with tolerable satisfaction and consid-
erable  advantage.  Rains  and north  winds,
however, are,  and must be,  a subject of com-
plaint  anywhere  on the north  side  of  the
island, and to some extent  on  the south, ex-
cept where the  centre  is  high  and  moun-
tainous, as about Trinidad,  and further east-
erly.  As the winds generally prevail from
the north, it must, in the nature of things, be
certain  that the first land will condense  the
vapour  and  receive the  largest  quantity  of
rain..   Without a full opportunity for investi-
              10* 
114         A WINTER IN THE

gation^ my opinion was formed in the short
space of two daysr upon a basis  so perfectly
satisfactory  to  myself,  that,  without further
delay or trouble, I at once embarked for Key
West, fully convinced that  it must at  least be
as good,  and probably  a  better place,  than
Havana. 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    115
             CHAPTER XI.
                 Key West.

The  Key West  fishing-smacks supply  the
Havana market with fish, and, sailing directly
from thence homeward, afford frequent oppor-
tunities to  pass from  one place to the other,
a distance of about eighty miles, at the extra-
vagant price  of ten dollars for one night on
board a small vessel.  At about sundown on
the 12th of March I embarked on board one
of them, and found myself passing the frown-
ing battlements of the Moro Castle and the
light-house, at the mouth of the  harbour, about
dark.   As soon as the vessel got under-way,
the captain, a hard-looking,  cross-eyed man,
but who. had previously conducted with great
propriety, all at once appeared to be much
excited, swearing most furiously, as well as
profanely, at every thing  about him, and par-
ticularly at one of his men who was  in  a
berth below, as quiet as a lamb.  Upon being
asked what the man had done,  he said he had
turned against him, and accused him of mur- 
 116        A WINTER IN  THE

 der  and piracy,  when he  never had  been
 guilty of either, although he always thought
 he should be a pirate to revenge himself upon
 mankind for their villainy; and that he would
 murder him by splitting his brains out with
 an axe, and throwing him overboard as soon as
 he got into the blue water.   He said mankind
 were just bad enough to deserve  to be  mur-
 dered, and that he  believed  that God  had
 made  murderers  and pirates  for  evil, as he
 had rattlesnakes to bite, and that  he loved all
 he had made; that he feared no  punishment
 from God or  man, (fee (fee   Such language
 as this, without any  apparent cause for it,
 naturally excited surprise, mingled with no
 small degree of apprehension, and brought to
 mind the stories I had often  heard about Key
 West wreckers being pirates, or about as bad.
 Alone as I was, in the midst  of a crew headed
 by such a captain, suspicion was equivalent
to confirmation, and when once in possession
of the mind, banished every other considera-
tion.   At the very moment it  was setting in
with  a strong current,  I observed that we
were sailing under Spanish  colours, whereas
the captain had told  me  his was an American
vessel.  Upon inquiring what the Spanish 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    117

flag meant, the captain said it was  a Spanish
vessel, and he was a Spaniard, but that he
sailed under  just such colours as suited  him
best. This was decisive that they were indeed
pirates, and  for once in my life I was hor-
ribly alarmed at the idea that I was the can-
didate  for being thrown  into the blue water
as soon  as  we got to  sea.  It seemed as
though there was a secret joy  in every one's
countenance  at having  caught me; and  I
wondered how I could  have  trusted myself
on board  such a vessel without  inquiring its
character.  I tried to get my pistols from my
trunk, but could  not  do so  without being
observed,  which  would  only  make  matters
worse.  I then took care to  mention inciden-
tally, that, having a good opportunityr I had
bought a bill  on New-York, which  left me so
destitute  of money that I might be compelled
to borrow.  For an hour or two fear reigned
triumphant;  but as soon  as  it  subsided suffi-
ciently to give place  to recollection, it oc-
curred to me, that,  instead  of coming  on
board without knowing any  thing of the  ves-
sel, an acquaintance at Havana had informed
me that he came over in the same, and ad-
vised  me  to  go in  her.  This, together with 
118        A WINTER IN  THE

the fact that I was not killed, soon relieved
me from apprehension, and  the next morning
I was  safely landed at Key West,  where I
learned that the captain  was  only  a hard
drinker and  hard swearer,  and that all  the
smacks went to Havana under Spanish colours
to save port charges. I mention this, not only
as an amusing instance of unfounded fear, but
also to show the great importance to  travel-
lers of being fully satisfied as to the character
of a vessel in all respects, before embarking.
Suspicions of this kind are no very pleasant
visiters any where, particularly at sea.
   Key West is   a  little  island,  four or five
miles  long, varying from   half a mile to a
mile in  width,  situate in  latitude  24°  25'
north,  about seventy miles west of the  south-
ern extremity of the peninsula of East Flori-
da.  It is composed of a formation  of coral
lime-stone  and  sea-shells,   beat  up  by  the
surges of the ocean,  the ground  generally
being scarcely six  feet above ordinary high
water  mark,  and the  lowest in  many  places
inundated by every flow of the tide.   There
are also  several ponds in  the interior, con-
taining a small quantity of fresh water.  The
Gulf Stream flows  along six or seven miles 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    119

to the south, with a reef running  along  its
northern boundary,  to  the north of which
there is a large extent  of very shoal water,
interspersed with several other keys, similar to
this in all respects except dimensions, for near-
ly a hundred miles westerly of the main land.
There are several passages through  the reet
for large vessels, and the  harbour is  excel-
lent.   Its position,  commanding the com-
merce of the Gulf of Mexico, early attracted
the attention of our Government as a suit-
able place  for  a military and  naval  depot.
Commodore Porter made it his head-quarters
while cruising  for pirates with  the West  In-
dian  squadron, and  military barracks on a
somewhat extensive  scale were commenced,
but have since  been  abandoned, and are now
going  to  ruin.  By  the carelessness  of  the
first settlers, and the  exposed situation of
Commodore Porter's  men, the climate  of  the
place  acquired a  bad character, and many
now represent  it  as  a place very subject to
yellow fever and fever and ague: but  the
experience  of  upwards of five  hundred  in-
habitants  for several years, with great free-
dom from fevers of all kinds, and with  but
rarely a case  of ague, even by the  intern- 
120         A WINTER  IN THE
perate, has not only repelled the charge, but
brought it into high estimation as a place of
extraordinary salubrity.  Commodore Porter,
in a communication to the Government, said
that his  men contracted their fevers in the
haunts of the pirates in the West  Indies, and
not at Key West;  but the  lady  with whom
I boarded  says  it is not so; but still, that
it was far from being the fault of  the climate.
She said they had no provision for catching
rain-water; that the men  drank water ob-
tained by digging little holes in  the ground,
which was often very bad;  and besides, that
they had not sufficient protection either from
the sun or the winds, and that under similar
circumstances any body would now have the
yellow fever  there.
  The great  number of reefs and shoals in
the neighbourhood, where so many vessels are
constantly  passing,  renders  this  a natural
place  of resort for wreckers, who, with small
vessels, lie  about the shoals, some solely for
the purpose  of  relieving  vessels  that  get
aground, and others not only for that purpose,
but also employed in fishing for the  Havana
market. To encourage a business so important
to commerce, a prize-court has  been  estab- 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    121

lished here to settle questions of salvage, <fcc.
&e, which adds considerable to the impor-
tance of the place, and in time of war, would
bring to it a still  more  important class  of
business.   A mail is regularly established
from hence to New-York and St, Marks, twice
a month, a matter of no small importance, not
only to  the inhabitants, but also to strangers
and temporary sojourners for health or other-
wise.  There are about forty small  vessels,
wreckers and fishermen, resorting here, which,
together with the wrecked crews and passen-
gers brought  in, add considerable to the busi-
ness of the place.  There are extensive salt
works  in successful  operation, from five  to
eight hundred inhabitants, about one hundred
neat looking houses,  fourteen stores, several
ware-houses,  a tavern, a court-house, besides
a meeting-house being built; a small episcopal
society now hold their meetings at the court-
house.  Besides the tavern, there is one other
boarding-house,  and arrangements are making
to open one  or two more.   The inhabitants
will, no doubt,  find accommodations for all
who go there.  As to amusements, there are
two billiard tables and a nine-pin alley.  The
              11 
122
A WINTER IN THE
price of board varies from seven to  ten and
a half dollars per week.   There are two phy-
sicians here,  of  good reputation,  and their
charges are  not very high.
  As  to living, the first  meal  there,  after
leaving the West Indies, shows the falling off, in
full relief.  Fresh beef and mutton they have
none, fowls  sometimes, but scarce, an abun-
dance of fine turtle, fish plenty, and of good
quality, sometimes vegetables  and fruits from
the Havana, and sometimes none, there being
no  regular   preparations  for  getting  them.
Where I stopped, however, every effort was
made to obtain as good a supply of provisions
as could be  had, without incurring  expense
beyond what would be warranted by the reve-
nue.  The soil of the island will not produce
even garden  vegetables, to any  considerable
extent, even with the most careful cultivation.
Many  of the inhabitants remarked that one
acre of  good soil  would  be  of incalculable
benefit to the place.  There are a few cocoa-
nut trees, a few lime bushes, and some small
orange trees,  which last, however, do not bear.
By putting on  dirt, and by dint of watering
from day to day, some few gardens produce a
few peas, beans, corn, (fee (fee, with some or- 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    123

namental flowers, &e (fee  As a general re-
mark, however, it is true that the soil is barren
and unproductive; and yet Com. Porter, in the
same communication above mentioned, says:
" The soil is rich, producing in abundance all
the West Indian plants and  fruits, except cof-
fee and cane."  I mention this, to show how
little dependence can be  placed  upon  state-
ments from any source, when relative  terms
are used.   The above  is  entitled to  as much
credit as a thousand remarks from equally  res-
pectable sources, about  good  climates,  and
still nobody that ever saw  Key West can be
charitable  enough  to believe  it true in  any
sense.  It is something like a statement made
by a resident there, when showing his  house
and lot for sale ; he pointed out the garden as
he called it, a surface of lime-stone, with one
or two inches of shell soil scattered over it,
and a few small weeds  scattered  about at res-
pectable distances apart, and  said it was very
rich, and would bear any thing that should be
planted upon it.
   The village is located at the north-wester-
 ly corner of the island, scarcely five feet above
 the level of ordinary high water mark; and the
streets, like all other parts  of it, have a lime- 
124
A WINTER IN  THE
stone foundation, just covered with a  sandy
looking soil,  composed  in fact  however of
nothing but shells.   The aspect  of things is
not improved at all, to say the least, by a lit-
tle pond right in the centre of the  city, cov-
ering several acres  with salt water, varying
in depth  from a mud  bottom to two or three
feet, according to the ebb and flow of the tides.
A thin sheet of water like this, to say nothing
of the muddy bottom, exposed to the  effects
of a tropical sun, sends up an  evaporation
that must affect the air injuriously, though not
to as great an extent as though it were fresh
water.  A few thousand dollars expense, how-
ever, would soon obviate this difficulty by
filling up the  pond,  and making a  public
square in its place.  There is a tolerable road
leading across  the west end of the  island to
the south beach, a distance of about one mile,
and another road runs along the beach on the
north side, towards the east. There are seve-
ral other foot and horse  paths through the
bushes, in  different  directions.  These  are
all  the  chances  for  riding  on  the island.
There are no horses or carriages to let,  and it
is expensive keeping animals of any kind on
hay and oats.   Although some wild cattle do 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    125

live  there without  feeding, working  horses
and  milch cows must be fed on hay and
grain ; and  do not thrive very well.   All the
island, except in the immediate vicinity of the
city,  is covered by a dense growth of trees
and bushes,  from the  smallest shrubbery to
trees  of one foot or more in diameter,  a hun-
dred years of age: wood is therefore-abundant,
and probably always will be. The trees furnish
to the mosquitoes a fine protection from the
sun  and winds ; whereby invalids and others
are supplied  with external irritation, without
expense of blister plasters.  Indeed, internal
or rather mental irritation  is in many in-
stances produced to an extremely uncomfort-
able,  if not to a dangerous degree; insomuch
that  no one can walk through the shade in
the day time, or any where in  the evening,
without great discomposure of temper.  Add to
this a slight inconvenience from a small in-
sect called sandflies, which abound  almost
every where, and a  pretty accurate idea may
be formed of the comforts of the place in calm
weather: but when the wind blows, which is
pretty generally, they are driven back into the
bushes  for protection, and do not much  an-
             il* 
126        A WINTER IN THE

noy those who keep in the village,  which is
generally the windward side of the island.
   As to climate,  I found the  temperature
about  like  that of Havana, — cool enough
to require  woollen clothing constantly, and
not to  admit of my dispensing  with thick
double-soled boots.  In  the  middle  of the
day they would feel  rather heavy,  but in
the evening and  morning were hardly an
adequate protection from the cold.   During
the two weeks I remained there  the  weath-
er was pleasant, with the exception of two
occasions,  when it rained for a  short time.
The atmosphere, however, was humid ; and
the large  amount  of  water suspended  in
the air,  produced at sun-set  a  sky  tinged
with hues of red and  yellow, which some
considered an  evidence of dryness.   This
appearance, and the scarcity of rain, natu-
rally leads those unacquainted with  the sub-
ject to an erroneous conclusion in regard to
the climate of Key West.  The reason of
the small  quantity of  rain is  not  the ab-
sence of moisture, for the evaporation must
be great, but  the  small quantity and little
elevation  of the  land,  which is not  suffi-
cient to  attract  and condense the  vapours. 
       WEST INDIES AND  FLORIDA.    127

As a further evidence of the bad quality of
the air,  in some respects  at least,  I ob-
served that,  after stopping a short time at
this  place, the skin became extremely ten-
der,  insomuch that it  would be fractured
by a touch that would scarcely be felt any-
where else.  This  tenderness of the skin
was  often  remarked by  others, especially
fishermen,  and others who had been much
in the open air and  sun-shine.  I cannot
discover   how  the sun could be the only
cause, as sun-shine of double power pro-
duced no such effect at Trinidad;  and was
therefore  compelled  to  ascribe it  to the
combined influence  of sun-shine and a hu-
mid  atmosphere.
   The wind blew  fresh  almost constantly,
particularly  in  the  evening  and morning,
and  generally  from  the  north; and  cold
enough,  not only to  obstruct perspiration,
but  also to produce considerable sensation
upon the surface.  I immediately perceived
an unfavourable change in my health; was
obliged to curtail -my eating, one half, from
approaches  of dyspepsia;  to keep in  eve-
nings, and  sleep  under two  blankets; and
was then subject to expectoration and some 
128         A WINTER IN THE

slight attack of asthma at night.   On  leav-
ing,  I weighed seven pounds less than on
my arrival there.  All these things together
pretty  much demonstrated  that the climate
was  not  as  good as  that  of Trinidad,  or
even St. Croix, for  me  at least;  but still
there is no  doubt  that it is far better  than
any other within  the  limits of the United
States.
  Whatever the thermometer may show, the
sensations of invalids  sufficiently indicate
that its temperature is too cold.  The coldest
weather had passed  before my arrival; and
yet, on several occasions,  we  found it  com-
fortable to have  a fire at morning and even-
ing.  When a warm climate is resorted  to as
a remedy, there is no use of going half-way.
Wherever it is cold enough to obstruct per-
spiration, the principal advantage is lost.  It
is unwise, indeed, to leave one's home, and go
fifteen  hundred  miles, merely  to get  a mild
climate ;  when, by going a little further, and
at about the same expense, one entirely free
from objection may be found.   Persons  who
have come here directly from  the frozen re-
gions of the north, find the  contrast so great
and themselves so much relieved, that many 
       WEST INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.    129
                     •
are satisfied and remain here with some tem-
porary relief,  when by going further south
an entire cure would be effected.  The great
extent of shoal water, and the small eleva-
tion of the place above its surface, also make
the atmosphere moist, compared with many
places in the West Indies ;  though not as
much so as  many  other places  in our coun-
try, and but little,  if any, more so  than that
of St. Croix.  But the difference of tempera-
ture  makes  it worse ;  and besides, as rains
are here  very seldom, and at St. Croix very
frequent, the former ought  to  have a much
drier  atmosphere  than  the latter;  and  un-
doubtedly would have but for the land-winds
from  the  northward,  and the shoals in  its
vicinity.   For those who are merely predis-
posed to affections of  the  lungs, (fee (fee,
without actual disease, this climate may  be
warm enough, and in comparison with any
other place in our  country,  must be pro-
nounced a good climate,  notwithstanding  all
the objections above-mentioned. From De-
cember to June, 1838, there fell only fWths
of an inch of rain, and the  average range of
the thermometer, per  month,  was only 11°.
The thermometer stood as follows in 1838: 
130        A  WINTER IN THE
	Highest.	Lowest.	Average.
January,	79°	62°	74° 28'
February,	80	54	72 15
March,	81	62	74 50
April,	81	63	77 31
May,	85	64	81 14
From thence to October, inclusive, from  75°
to 88° ;  November,  83° to 66° ; December,
82° to 54°.  Notwithstanding my own  im-
pression, that the climate of Key West is too
cold, it is but fair to state that it is less objec-
tionable in  this respect than that of Madeira,
where the   thermometer sometimes falls as
low as 50°  ; but the effect of cold  upon the
human system  may be worse  at the former
than  the latter place, owing to winds,  hu-
midity, (fee
   I found  here several invalids,  two from
Pensacola,  one of whom  found his health
somewhat improved, but a lady with a cough
showed little or no intimation of improve-
ment.  A gentleman from  New-York who
had  been given up by his  physician as  a
hopeless  case of consumption,  had been to
Texas, expecting  to find that a suitable  cli-
mate  for invalids;  but  not  feeling exactly
satisfied with mud, fog, rain, sleet,  and snow, 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    131

 had returned to Key West,  and improved
 rapidly ever since his arrival.  Two others
 from the north with  bad coughs, and  one
 with a complication  of chronic diseases,  had
 found very great benefit  from the  climate,
 and all appeared to  think  it  the  best in the
 United States, if not  in the world.  But there
 was not  a single  case of entire recovery
 among the whole.
   The monotony of living on so small an
 island,  is, with  some,  a serious objection to
 going there;  but this  is in a great measure
 obviated, so far  as regards making the trial;
 for, if dissatisfied with it, there are  frequent
 opportunities for Havana, and from thence to
 any part of Cuba, or  indeed almost any where
 else.  A very good  class of brigs run from
 New-York to St. Marks twice a month, touch-
 ing at Key West.  The passage is only forty
 dollars, and,  with  ten  dollars added from
 here to Havana, it  is  the cheapest way of
 getting there : the Havana packets usually
 charging  seventy-five  dollars.  Many think
 they would prefer Key West to other places
 on account of the mail and the supposed  fre-
quency  of  communication  with New-York; 
 132        A  WINTER IN  THE

 but after learning that there are times when
 no vessel arrives from New-York or  any
 other of our cities for a month,  and that  at
 almost any West India port arrivals from our
 country are five times  as frequent, they  find
 the argument on the other side  of the ques-
 tion, and  that the little communication with
 other places, except Havana,  is one of the
 principal objections to residing at Key West.
 Let no one  trust to the mail, if he wishes  to
 get his letters promptly, but, on the contrary,
 have them sent by the way of Havana, where-
 by the evil may be partly obviated.  After all
 that can be said, however,  the  smallness  of
 the island, the want of roads and means  of
 riding, and the dull monotony of so small a
 place, are, and always must be, serious objec-
 tions to  the place as a resort for invalids.
   The society of the place is better than could
 be  expected from its circumstances and situ-
 ation, and is at least far  from meriting the
 unfavourable remarks often made concerning
 it.  The inhabitants have  been  represented
by  some as a  set of wreckers and reckless
men, without law or order, morals or civility.
These  severe  aspersions have arisen partly 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    133

from the fact that  several outrageous mur-
ders have been committed there, and the of-
fenders allowed to escape  punishment, not so
much  for want of the proper disposition on
the part of the inhabitants as for want of the
proper laws, officers, and  tribunals, to arrest
and try for crimes.  This evil is now reme-
died to a  considerable extent, and will no
doubt soon be entirely removed.
   The great amount of capital invested by
the citizens in wrecking vessels, and the ri-
valry among them in being first to  discover
and relieve vessels in distress, together with
the pleasure manifested at obtaining a prize
for salvage, have caused strangers to suspect
that they rejoiced at the misfortunes of others,
and might in some instances have used means
to cause the very distress  they were paid for
relieving. Whether there is any thing in  this
suspicion or not, when wreckers themselves
publicly  remark, as I heard some of them,
that there  were  plenty of vessels in New
Orleans that could be hired to go ashore  and
be  wrecked  for  five hundred dollars, they
cannot blame the suspicious for drawing  the
most unfavourable inferences as to the con-
              12 
134         A WINTER IN  THE

duct of the persons  engaged in the business.
As to their being glad to get chances to bring
in wrecks, they  are  not the only class who
live  upon  the  misfortunes  of others;  and
where  their services  are  wanted,  and  are
promptly  rendered,  they  are entitled  to  no-
thing the  less  credit,  because,  like others,
they are pleased with the prospect of promo-
ting their own interests.  Without attempting
to justify the conduct of all, it may safely be
said that Key West numbers  among  its in-
habitants as large a proportion  of  fair,  up-
right, and  honourable business men as any
other place  in our country.  There is a dis-
trict judge, district  attorney,  and collector,
besides  several  other gentlemen  of  high re-
spectability,  intelligence,  education, and re-
finement ; and, as  a general thing, the society
is exceedingly good for a small place, devo-
ted exclusively to  business, and isolated from
the rest of the world as this is.
  Here I had the satisfaction of witnessing
some of Uncle Sam's naval and military ope-
rations  against the Indians of Florida.  Some
three or four revenue cutters, with midship-
men for captains, and a hundred redoubtable 
       WEST INDIES AND  FLORIDA.    135

men on board, came into the harbour  from
time to time, and most heroically lay at an-
chor for several days together, doing nothing
except drinking grog, and talking  of  some
grand exploit, at some time or other, in get-
ting sight of an  Indian, who, of course, ne-
ver failed to  be killed ; but, as  the Indians
have a way of running after they are  dead,
they of course never could find  their game.
When they got tired of the dulness of Key
West, they would weigh anchor and go over
to Havana, to  supply  themselves  with the
luxuries of a great city.  Good heavens !  if
this is the way the Indian war is  carried on,
and these  are the men that manage it, no
wonder at the disgrace of our arms in  being
put  at defiance  for four or five years by a
handful  of Indians.   A hundred such men
would flee in dismay from ten well-armed
Indians ; but they never will go near enough
to try it as long as there are other places  to
go to.   Why do not our Government send a
force sufficient to put an end to  this pitiful
war at once ?  Or, if they will not do that,
let  them offer for each Indian the half what
every one heretofore  killed or taken  has cost; 
136         A WINTER IN THE

and  in  six  months there would not be an
Indian  left.  It is  past endurance, that a
nation strong enough  to  compete with  the
mightiest  nations should  thus  suffer  it-
self  to  be  balked by  a  tribe  of  savages.
But  enough of Indian wars and  revenue
cutter navies, and midshipman captains. 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    137
             CHAPTER  XII.
           Voyage to St. Augustine.

Not liking to return to New-Yo*k by sea  at
the early season my engagements required,
it  had been  my  design,  from the time  of
leaving St. Croix, to proceed via Charleston,
Baltimore, (fee ; but on arriving here, it was
ascertained that the  Charleston packet, which
formerly brought the mail  twice a week, had
been discontinued, and that there was no rea-
sonable expectation of a  chance to go north
at all without embarking  at once  for New-
York, and that, too, just when the vessel from
St. Marks  should happen to come, without
knowing  within a fortnight  when  to  expect
it.  Several  other  invalids  also  desired  to
go  back  by  degrees;  and  besides,  we all
thought it would be well to take a look at St.
Augustine, if possible.  Accordingly, after
labouring almost incessantly for two weeks, I
got up a company of eight passengers for St.
Augustine, and  chartered a  fishing-smack
from the good old town of Mystic,  Connect^
             12* 
138         A WINTER  IN THE

cut, to take us there.  The vessel was a sloop,
of about forty tons burthen, which had been
wrecking and fishing during the winter, and
was now returning homeward, with eight or
nine fishermen, (fee &e, as steerage  passen-
gers, besides  our company, which consisted of
six gentlemen  and two ladies.  The cabin
was large for a  small vessel, had a state-room
for the  ladies, and berths  for all, except one
of us.   The odd one, the captain, and several
others, who were crowded  out of the steerage
by our baggage, made a berth of the floor.
With this small craft, thus  crowded with pas-
sengers, on the  25th of March we put to sea
for a voyage of six hundred miles, along as
dangerous a coast  as can  be  found  in our
country.  However, the wind  was fine, and
away  we went,  all in good  cheer, glad to
make any change to get rid of the dulness of
Key West.   The sea was  so smooth during
the day, that no one was sick,  and all retired
to rest with the consoling  idea that we were
going through with all smooth  water.   About
midnight,  however, the wind blew  a  gale
dead ahead,  and being also against the rapid
current of the Gulf Stream, rolled up a heavy
sea, which soon turned the stoutest stomachs 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    139

in the cabin.  The vessel shipped every sea,
which not only prevented any from going on
deck, but also produced  a flood-tide in the
cabin.   By-and-by the fall broke, down came
the boom, and of course the mainsail, leaving
us  to roll at the mercy of the waves, and
doubling all the horrors of our sea-sickness,
making some wish  themselves back again,
alarming  others, and displeasing  all.  What
a family we were, out to sea in a smack, with
the wind blowing a gale, and  a  tremendous
sea rolling right over us at  every swell!
So much for travelling, for this was part of
it,  and  so I bore it patiently.  A storm-sail
was soon rigged, and, with our vessel under
light sail, away we steered before the wind,
to  make  the nearest  harbour.  The  wind
abating, we soon turned round  again,  and
attempted to make headway, but all in vain ;
and, after tossing about  all day,  at night we
made a harbour  and anchored, which  gave
us all a fine night's rest.
   The next  morning  we  got under-way
again, with the wind fresh, and nearly ahead,
which made another rather unpleasant day for
us.  The day  before, many were alarmed  at
 the prospect of destruction from the water; 
140        A WINTER IN THE

to-day a quite different, equally terrible, and
more exciting cause of apprehension  was dis-
covered.  While all was quiet on deck, except
now and then a complaint at the slowness of
our progress, the ladies came from the  cabin,
crying " fire! fire!" and at the same  moment
a smoke was seen issuing from the hatchway.
This set every one in motion as suddenly as
though they had been a regularly organized
fire company, and in less than  ten minutes,
the enemy was subdued, and the direful con-
sequences averted.  This may seem an inci-
dent scarcely worth mentioning; but whatever
it  may seem to others, it was no trifle  for a
dozen or fifteen persons at sea, to find  their
little vessel on fire within, and beset with a
heavy sea without.   Towards evening  the
wind became fair and gentle,  and, without
further  peril or alarm, on  the 29th of March,
we found ourselves  off St. Augustine  light-
house.  Just at this time, the wind increased
to almost a gale,  and when as  near as it was
safe  to  go towards the shore, we had to put
about for  want of a pilot: no more attention
having  been paid to our signal by the  lazy
pilots of the place, than if we had been a crew
of pirates, whom they desired to get aground. 
     WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.      141

By sending a boat forward  and sounding the
way, we found the passage over the bar, and
entered the  harbour  without pilotage, and of
course  without charge.   The stupid pilots
were surprised to see us come in, supposing we
would  wait  there till it suited  their conve-
nience  to come after  us.  The pilots of St.
Augustine are not alone in this fault.   When
there is no  competition, they think a vessel
dare not attempt to run in without them, and
often keep one with a great number of passen-
gers, all anxious to get on shore, from twelve
to twenty-four hours lying to, with a rough
sea,  in full view of their port, while the pilot
who ought to be on board is drinking grog, or
worse employed, on shore.   There ought to
be the severest penalty imposed on any pilot,
who should neglect to board a vessel with all
convenient  speed whenever the proper sig-
nal is given. 
142        A  WINTER  IN THE
             CHAPTER XIII.
                St. Augustine.

Although  previously satisfied from the lati-
tude and description of St. Augustine, that it
could not be compared favourably with either
of the before described places as a resort for
invalids, still, as  many  entertain a different
opinion, I determined to examine into every
material circumstance with sufficient particu-
larity to be able to give a full, fair, just, and
impartial  account of it.  It numbers about
two  thousand inhabitants:  is situate at lati-
tude 29° 56' north,  within half a mile of the
open sea, upon the highest land in the vicinity,
being a kind of high bank formed of sand and
shells, with  a light, dry,  sandy, dusty soil, for
surface.  The entrance to the harbour is nar-
row  and crooked, insomuch that no one wind is
fair to take a vessel in or out.  The streets are
regular, but  narrow, many of them being scarce
twelve feet wide ; without sidewalks or pave-
ments ; with from two to four inches of loose
rolling sand  on the  surface.   The situation is 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    143
bleak, the winds generally prevail from  the
north-eastward, directly from the ocean, often
with sufficient  force to drift the sand along
the streets, like snow  at the north, making it
unpleasant, if not dangerous, to face a strong
wind with open eyes.   About half a mile from
the wharf, the  ground  descends to a marsh,
where the water sets in several feet deep at
high tide, along a kind of creek several rods
wide; beyond that is  another  strip of land,
about forty rods wide, similar to the first, ex-
cept lower, which is  generally improved, but
not thickly built upon; then follows another
marsh, and a kind of creek, called Matanza's
river,  where the tide  flows; and then  the
main land of the peninsula, on a level of about
eight or  ten feet below the city;  a barren
sandy soil, with one or two sand roads through
it to the interior,  Jacksonville, Picolata, &e
&c, and covered with a thick growth of bush-
es  and a few  scattering  yellow pines.  The
soil about the city in its  natural state bears
some  wild  grass, but not enough to  form a
turf over the  sand,  or  keep it in its place.
Above  the town is the old Spanish  fort, built
at great expense, but now going to decay, and
used only as a prison.   Towards the lower 
144         A WINTER  IN THE

end  of the  city the Government  have bar-
racks for our troops, where I found one com-
pany stationed, amounting to about forty men.
There is a large, fine garden attached to the
establishment, surrounded with a fine row of
young sour orange trees.  Almost every house
in the city has a large  garden,  bordered in
the like manner, and many of them are  en-
tirely covered with  sweet orange trees, to the
exclusion of every thing else. Others are de-
voted to the culture of the mulberry tree, an
article at present in high  demand, and from
which half  the inhabitants of St. Augustine
expect to make a fortune.  The other half
are sure to make one by their orange groves,
i. e. if they  are not mistaken in their calcu-
lations.   They appear to flourish well, have
several years' growth, and some of the largest
have begun  to blossom, but not an orange is
to be seen.   The cold winter of 1835  killed
all their trees, and compelled them to  begin
again.   If the frost  does  not come  too hard
again, they  will have fruit in two or three
years.  It is said, with how much  truth I do
not know personally, but have never heard it
disputed, that the oranges of  St. Augustine
were preferred to  those  of Havana in  the 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    145

New-York market, and that every season was
productive.   Not finding  many large  dead
trees, or  stumps of them, however, led me to
suspect that  fortunes never were made here
by  raising oranges, and  very probably never
will be.  The raising and selling young trees,
either orange or mulberry, however, is a very
profitable business as long as there are plenty
of purchasers;  but if the supply happens to
exceed the demand, the speculation will  turn
out like a great many others of modern times.
Many suppose the climate must be very fine
and free from  cold, because oranges can be
produced here; but when it is considered that
they will endure, without injury, the  temper-
ature of 12° below freezing, it is not at all
surprising that good  fires  and thick overcoats
should be very necessary articles in an orange-
growing country.  When the trees were killed
here, the thermometer  fell to 22° below freez-
ing, or, in other words, 8° above zero.  This
was cold enough to make ice to skate upon.
On  the  27th of March, only two days before
my  arrival,  it  fell to  freezing within  eight
miles of  the city, and nearly as low in town.
  It was not my intention to have devoted as
much attention to  this place till  convinced
              13 
146         A WINTER IN THE

by the conversations of my fellow-passengers
from Key West, and the invalids and inhabi-
tants  here,  with what determined  tenacity
many still adhere to the idea that  there is no
occasion  for invalids going out of the United
States to  find a climate suitable to relieve them
from  the terrible diseases  contracted in the
severe climate of the north.
  I was  hardly credited at Key West when I
assured them that the south side of Cuba was
much warmer and pleasanter than that place ;
that the haze in the sky at morning and eve-
ning, and the moisture of the  sand along the
streets in the morning, were  evidences  of a
humid, though not  a rainy atmosphere.  Be-
cause it  did not rain often,  it was  declared
very  dry;  because  at  Havana they  have
northers  and rains,  it was declared as good as
Cuba; and because it was much warmer  than
any other place in our country, it was declared
warm enough.  It was, in truth, however, so
good, that, susceptible as I was to the effects
of a bad climate, and particularly  cold, my
time  there had been passed  with a  great de-
gree  of comfort; and on our passage, in dis-
cussing  our preferences  for  the respective
places we had visited, I  had a strong argu- 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    147

ment in my favour from the fact that every one
of them, though improved, was still labouring
under his old difficulties, whereas, during the
whole passage, I had no appearance of catarrh,
cough, or asthma, and scarcely any of dyspep-
sia :  a sure  indication that my improvement
had been greater than theirs.   On coming on
shore I felt, and looked too, like a well  man,
and was highly pleased to think of getting so
far north without a return of the old difficul-
ties.   The very first night, however,  the cold
began to produce its effect.  All were glad to
sit,  with shut doors and  windows, around a
good  blazing fire, and, in spite of  all precau-
tions, the exciting  stimulus  of the  cold  air
produced first pain in the head and spine, then
an oppression upon the chest, then dyspepsia,
catarrh, and asthma: by the third night it was
impossible to draw a clear breath, and all the
symptoms of my old difficulties appeared to
be  returning with redoubled force.   There
were several very pleasant days, i. e. when the
sky was clear;  but then, although the ther-
mometer stood  in the  middle of the day  at
about 70° in the shade, and although perspira-
tion was readily produced by walking in the
sun, still, such was the force of the north wind, 
148        A WINTER IN THE

that the moment I found myself in the shade,
or in any current of air, the perspiration was
suddenly  checked, and  the sensation  of cold
apparently as  great as it would be with the
thermometer at 40° at the north.   Although
others did not feel the cold  so  much, still
the fact that they all sat around a good large
fire at morning and evening, was some evi-
dence that they did not feel comfortable with-
out it.   The dining-room, as well as  sitting-
room, had to be heated up by  fire to make  it
comfortable, and this down to the 10th of April,
in an orange-growing country, and a supposed
suitable resort  for invalids.  Comment  is un-
necessary.  The thing speaks for itself.   It is
not only absurd, but almost wicked, to  send a
sick man here  for his health, when it is just as
easy to send him to a better place.  Every one
at all sensitive knows  how unpleasant  it is at
the north  in the spring and fall, when it is so
warm in the middle of the  day that no atten-
tion is paid to  fires at morning and evening,
rainy  days,  (fee,  to stand  or  sit  about, half
shivering, but still  scarcely cold enough to
admit of fire without  being too warm.   Just
so it is, and must be  here much  of the time
during the winter, for it is only when  coldest 
       WEST  INDIES  AND FLORIDA.    149

that fires are  made.  More than half of the
time I remained here it was cold and cloudy,
with a severe north-east wind.  This wind  is
nothing like those of the West Indies, which,
though often fresh,, are warm, and bland; but,
on the contrary, is as sour, cold,, and piercing,
as half-frozen vinegar.  Situate on the borders
of the temperate, so near the  torrid zone, it is
natural enough  to expect a great  proportion
of cold north wind, with now and then a very
warm breeze from the south, thus making the
climate  exceedingly variable.   There were
one  or two days, however, when  the winds
slackened, the sky became bright, and the at-
mosphere became dry enough to affect respi-
ration unfavourably.   As the country  in its
vicinity is mostly composed of dry sand, it is
probable the westerly  winds prove injurious
to lung complaints from their dryness, and the
northerly and  easterly winds must  be  injuri-
ous  from their  cold, sharp, cutting severity.
The south-east winds are the most favourable,
but are seldom and of short duration. A cloak
is  quite  as necessary an article to  safety and
comfort here as at New-York, for the general
temperature being higher, makes the cold more-
perceptible and more dangerous.
              13* 
150'        A WINTER IN THE

  The above objections to this place were so
well known  to  me  before,  that  I  supposed
others  must  know  them  also, and  that not
more  than four or  five  invalids would be
found here;  but, so far from such being the
fact, more than twenty were  here on my ar-
rival, eight or ten had  returned, and thirteen
had died within the last four months.  The
death of  invalids  of  itself  proves  nothing
against  a  climate; but when so large a  pro-
portion  have died  here, while at St. Croix,
not by any means the best climate that can be
found, out of a larger number of the  most
dangerous  cases,, the deaths during  the  same
time have  been  only' six or seven ; this, in
my estimation,, "serves to thicken with the
other proofs"  against the claimed  superiority
of climate.  Many, no doubt, came  here far
gone with consumption;  so did those who
died at  St. Croix: but several of those who
can never hope to recover, instead  of being
cut off at  once, are so much relieved  as to
prolong their lives,  and  give nature a fair
chance of effecting a cure. I found  here one
gentleman from Boston, of great  intelligence
and  respectability, who had  travelled much,
and, on the  whole, preferred this  place for 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    151

himself to any other.  His was an affection
of the lungs,  though not  a bad  case.  He
looked pretty well, but did not pretend to go
out at night  nor in the  morning without his
cloak on and his neck well bundled up.  He
had  been to St. Croix,  but did not like the
climate, because too warm, producing debility.
Several of  his family had the fever while
there,  which no  doubt  influenced  his judg-
ment against the  climate, as having the asth-
ma  did mine  against  that  of this  place..
Another gentleman who had spent the winter
of 1836-7 at St. Croix, thought that  climate
bad and  this worse.  His daughter died at St.
Croix, which  no doubt had its influence in
forming his  opinion of it.  He was convinced
that  he was  no  better here than he should be
at home, in  Rochester, New-York.  His  was
an affection  of the throat and bronchial tubes.
A young man  from western New-York, with
a  consumption, as ho  thought,  had  found
himself some better than at the north, but he
complained  of  the climate as being too cold.
Another  that fell under my observation  was
in the last  stages of consumption, and  will
soon add another to the list of deaths this  sea-
son.   There are some persons  residing here 
 152        A  WINTER  IN THE

 who at first came  out  for their  health, and
 have entirely recovered.  Some of my fellow-
 passengers from Key West thought the cold
 was not very objectionable, and the one who
 had no cough talked of coming here to reside.
 On the whole,  I have no doubt, that, in cases
 of mere predisposition to disease, benefit has
 been, and may sometimes be,  derived from a
 winter residence here, but that those who are
 really suffering from the effects of cold might
 about as well stay at home  Very good medi-
 cal attendance  can  be procured here, but the
 charges are high, being about  five dollars for
 a first visit to a stranger, and probably nearly
 as much  for each  succeeding visit.  There
 is no dispute about the general salubrity of
 the place.  It  is small and  dull, without
 amusements, and   without any  horses  or
 carriages  to let, or  other means  of enabling
strangers  to ride, and it is difficult to disco-
ver that it excels Key  West  in  any  thing
except greater  extent  of territory, a  pros-
pect of speculating in  Florida  lands,  and
the more frequent   opportunity of sending
and  receiving  communications   by  mail.
The mail  goes  to and from Savannah  twice
a week,  and  arrives there in about   four 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    153

days.  The expense  of board is  about the
same as at Key West; the living not as
good as  might  be had at that place,  but
houses and furnishing  better.  Fine oysters
abound here,  however,  as a substitute for
the  turtle  of Key West.  There  are  two
large and  commodious  hotels,,  capable of
entertaining  forty or  fifty  persons  each.
The Florida House,  kept by Mr.  Thomp-
son, is  a large, commodious, and well reg-
ulated establishment,  considering  the cir-
cumstances of   the  place;   and, although
somewhat  expensive, good fires were gene-
rally provided, to obviate the severity of the
weather.   It costs five dollars to go to Jack-
sonville in a bad stage.  Steamboats  run pret-
ty regularly from the St. John's river to Savan-
nah, but none from here anywhere north.
   A packet  schooner  runs regularly from
here to  Charleston,  at  ten  dollars  passage,
but owing to north-east  winds, it  is some-
times impossible to  get out  of the harbour
for a month at  a time.   I  was detained in
that manner for ten days, during which pe-
riod  I  wrote  this  description,  in   a room
without fire, with a cloak on, and  feet cold
in  spite of thick boots : suffering  from asth- 
154        A WINTER  IN THE
ma, — fearing worse further  north, — still
burning with impatience on  account of the
delay.  If this ought to detract any thing
from  the  weight due to the  opinions  above
expressed,  make  the necessary  deduction:
but as to  all the facts, they are just as  true
as they would be, if I were ever so much
pleased with the  place, and owned large
tracts of Florida  lands,  like some who have
given different accounts.  If  any one doubts,
I have but  one  answer:  let him try it.
  The  following  table   shows  the general
state  of the  weather for one year previous
to April,  1839:
1838.	Highest.	Lowest	Rainy Days.
April,	73°	54°	3
May,	78	61	2
June,	79	71	18
July,	89	70	4
August,	86,	76	12
September,	86	64	12
October,	85	52	8
November,	85	46	3
December,	80	24	Frost. 4
1839.			
January,	78	42	4
February,	79	46	6
 
       WEST INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.    155
   1839.       Highest.   Lowest.    Rainy Days.
  March,       86°     36°  Frost.   3
  10th April,   70      56           2
  It  will  thus be  seen that  the  summer
months alone  are far  from too low  a tem-
perature for invalids,  and  that it would be
more  wise  to send  them  at that  season
than  any  other.   They  would avoid  the
extreme variations of the north from  90° to
40°, which always must be injurious  at any
season  or  place.  But the marshes  in  the
vicinity  harbour too  many  mosquitoes   in
summer to allow  one a  moment's  quiet:
so I was  informed by a  family  who had
resided there a year,  and which  rather sur-
prised me,  as it seemed from the state of
the weather in April,  that mosquitoes would
freeze  in  summer.  These  marshes,  too, in
warm weather,  must  produce a bad effect
upon the  atmosphere.
  At the  time of writing the above, I sup-
posed  the  wind  was  coming about,  so as
to take me along to  some place, if no  bet-
ter, at  least free from pretensions  to a  fine
climate.  Nothing can be worse than to find
oneself imprisoned  in  this  little  village ;
kept  a  whole  week  or more  with a cold, 
156        A WINTER IN  THE

piercing wind  drifting the sand along the
streets,  and into his eyes, with sometimes
a  chance  at  a  fire morning  and evening,
and sometimes  a chance  to wrap up in a
cloak and shiver without  any; and many
times too cold  to  keep warm by  walking
in the sun shine; with numbers of  misera-
ble patients hovering about the  fire, telling
stories of distress,  while  others are  busily
engaged  in  extolling the  climate.  It is al-
together  unendurable  to  hear it.  Why,  a
man  that  would not  feel too  cold  here,
would stand a six years' residence in  Green-
land, or   send   an invalid  to  the  Great
Dismal  Swamp   for health.   The truth is,
a  man  in health can  judge  no  better of
the fitness of a  climate  for invalids  than a
blind man  of colours.   He  has  no sense
by which  to judge of it.  His  is the feel-
ing of the well  man, but not of the sick.
I  have  been healthy, and now  I am sick ;
and  know  the   above  remark  is correct.
No getting away,—blow — blow — blow,—
north-east winds are sovereigns  here, forci-
bly restraining the  free  will of  every-body,
and  keeping eveiy thing at a stand except
the tavern-bill, which runs  against all winds 
WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    157
and  weather.   Here  are  forty passengers^
besides  a vessel,  detained for ten days  by
the persevering obstinacy of the tyrant wind,
— while its  music  roars  along  the  shore,
to regale us  by  night as well as by day,
and  keep us in constant  recollection of  the
cause  of detention.   Oh, for  a  steamboat,
that  happiest  invention of man, — that goes
in spite of wind  and  tide !   Talk of dan-
ger !—Why, rather  than be  detained in this
manner, I would  take passage on board a
balloon, or  a thunder cloud.  Any  thing
to get  along.
   These north-easters  are what used  to be
called  "orange winds," — because, when  a
cargo  of fruit  was put   on board,  it was
often ten days before it was possible to get
out  of the harbour, during  which time  the
whole  would decay, and thereby make  a
market  for another cargo.   This  is  another
impediment to making fortunes by growing
 oranges at St.  Augustine.
   Instead of  riding  for  amusement,  as at
 St.  Croix, the invalids here  appear  to have
 taken a great fancy to cutting and trimming
 orange  sticks for  canes.   Having  nothing
 else to  do,  many  of them  work as indus-
            14 
158         A WINTER IN THE
triously  at  this as so many mechanics toil-
ing for their daily wages.  To see a dozen
men  sitting along  the  sunny side of  the
house, all engaged in whittling, forcibly re-
minded me of  the remark of  Mrs.  Trol-
lope,  "that  the Americans were a whittling
nation."  Every one  intends to carry home
canes enough to present one to each of his
friends, as  an  everlasting memorial of  the
far-off and  never-to-be-forgotten  city of  St.
Augustine, where  orange trees will  grow in
spite  of  frost, except  once in  four or five
years,  when it comes too hard. 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    159
            CHAPTER XIV.
             Return to New-York.

At length, after twelve days  severe north-
east wind, to the great joy of the passengers,
and misfortune of landlords, on the  10th of
April  the smoke from the chimney-tops was
observed to  incline to the  northward;  and
about four o'clock, p. m., we got out of the
harbour, and stretched our way for Charleston
with a  fair  breeze.  On board  was a  lady
who had just buried her husband, who  had
vainly resorted to  the climate of  St. Augus-
tine for  relief from a pulmonary  complaint,
and now, with a  little child, the only  rem-
nant of  her  family, was making her way to
the north, lamenting her fate, and regretting
the vain experiment of such a change of cli-
mate.   A circumstance  like this,  as usual,
impressed me  with  a deep tone of melan-
choly ; but it made but little impression upon
the inhabitants of the place, to whom  such
occurrences  seemed  to be familiar.  Before
leaving,  the weather had become warmer, my 
160        A  WINTER  IN THE
 difficulties had  somewhat  subsided, and but
 for  the  idea  of being  forcibly  detained,
 the  last  few  days  would   have  passed
 with a tolerable degree of comfort.  On ar-
 riving  at  Charleston the  weather  was fine,
 the air moist, but bland, not unlike that of St.
 Croix  in January;  and, on  the  whole, my
 health  appeared  about as good as at the time
 of leaving  Key West.   From  inquiry,  I
 learned that  the weather for ten days previ-
 ous had been much better at Charleston than
 at St. Augustine ; but, as a general remark,
 it is  true that Charleston has a worse climate
 for invalids than St. Augustine.   Although
 a fine  city, and  in many respects a pleasant
 place, it is surrounded by low grounds, mud
 and marshes, and but for the purifying influ-
 ence of the salt water, which freely  ebbs and
 flows there, would be a very unhealthy place.
 There  is generally but little sickness, how-
 ever, except  some cases of yellow fever in
 summer, which proves fatal to strangers, and
 sometimes to inhabitants.  Unlike most cities,
it is healthier than the country in its vicinity ;
 and in  very  warm weather, it  is said, an in-
habitant cannot  go out of town without tak-
ing a fever.   Very good packets carry pas- 
       WEST INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.    161

sengers from  Charleston  to New-York  for
twenty to twenty-five  dollars, generally mak-
ing the passage in from four to eight days ;
and  many persons travelling north  were in
doubt  whether to go by sea or land: I con-
cluded to try the latter.  Another question to
be  settled was between taking  a  steamboat
direct for Norfolk, doubling Cape Hatteras, at
twenty-five dollars passage, and  going  by
steamboat to  Wilmington, North Carolina,
and thence to Norfolk via the  Wilmington
and Halifax, and Portsmouth and Roanoke
railroads.  Here was a difference of opinion ;
but as the former, going only once  a week,
did not start as soon by one day, I preferred
the latter route, which is a daily mail line ;
and after a fine night's rest found  myself at
Wilmington the next morning at about seven
o'clock,  a distance of one  hundred and fifty
miles.  The town is situate on  a sand-bank,
in the vicinity of low rice lands and swamps ;
but, like all other places,  is healthy, if the
inhabitants are to be believed.   From  the
steamboat the  change to  a railroad car was
rather pleasant;  but, before getting  through
eighty  miles  of swampy  land, every  one
wished himself upon the blue waters, where
                14* 
162         A WINTER IN THE
a pure atmosphere balanced a thousand evils.
When from this we changed to the slow mo-
tion of a stage-coach, along a similar  swamp,
night and day, for eighty miles further, some-
times almost literally going out of sight of
land,  and  expecting  every  moment to be
upset either upon  land or water, no one felt
disposed to find fault with a railroad through
any country, as it ensured speed, if nothing
else.  At Welden,  North Carolina,  we took
the Portsmouth and Roanoke railroad,  and
got through in thirty-six hours  from Wil-
mington, a distance of three  hundred miles.
Almost the whole country appeared one con-
tinuous swamp, with clay bottom, sandy soil,
and a growth of pitch-pine trees, entirely in-
capable of the production of any thing but
turpentine, tar, and  fever and ague.  Here
and there a spot of high ground was cleared
and  inhabited, exhibiting now and then a
few fruit trees in blossom, contrasting finely
with  the gloomy monotony of pitch-pine
forests.   Nobody, however, would live here
who had ever seen any other country; but,
in the consoling belief that the  country is
as healthy as any in the world, many have
lived there  till  they  have become  proof 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.     163

against ague, and without, apparently, being
at all dissatisfied with their condition.   At
about midnight, in  company with a fellow-
traveller, I walked on while  the horses were
being changed, and, perceiving a bright pine
fire  at a distance,  upon a  little elevation
above  the surrounding country,  with  some
waggons around it, went up  to  see  what
might  be there.  Two or three  men  were
sleeping, without covering,  upon  the damp
earth, as quietly as though  they had been
reposing upon beds of down.   They  were
awakened by our approach, and we fell into
conversation.   They had covered waggons,
and were going down to the  coast to buy
loads of herring to  peddle  out on their re-
turn.  I  asked one of them why he did  not
get under the cover of his waggon to sleep.
He replied it was not long enough,  and  be-
sides that it was healthier to lie in the open
air.   "I  understand," said he, "the people at
the north sleep in the house all  the time, and
that it makes them sickly."  Half mankind
are just  about  as  good  philosophers  upon
this subject as these waggoners, vainly  im-
agining that any thing is healthy which can
be lived  through.   As the coach came up, I 
164         A WINTER IN THE

ironically remarked to my companion  that I
had an idea of taking lodgings with the wag-
goners ; whereupon, taking me in earnest, one
and all exclaimed,  "you  are welcome, stran-
ger."  This  trifling interview seemed impor-
tant  enough for a midnight scene in a North
Carolina  swamp,  and gave a better idea of
the character and manners of the lower class
of people  there than could be obtained by read-
ing for a  week.  If these swamps extend for a
hundred  or  more miles in width  through
South Carolina and Georgia, also, as well as
part of Florida, as I have no doubt  they do,
no wonder the north winds bear along an
unwholesome air even as far south as Key
West.  It is impossible  that any place less
than a thousand miles to the leeward should
enjoy a good climate.
  From  Portsmouth a fine boat,  starting at
evening,  took us to Baltimore by nine o'clock
the next  morning. But although a number
of passengers were extremely anxious to take
the first train of cars to Philadelphia, and got
their baggage alongside the street where they
passed, they would not  stop  to take  us in,
under the pretence that they had not time.
As the railroad, steamboat, and all, are in the 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    165

hands of one company, they knew they were
sure of our money the next trip, and little did
they care for the rest.   I had exposed my
health by riding through the swamps in the
night to save a day, and here lost it again for
want of that spirit of accommodation that is
always sure to prevail, except where charter-
ed monopolies have the power  in their  own
hands.  If passengers knew they were liable
thus to lose the time attempted to be saved in
going from Charleston to New-York by land,
a packet would be  preferred in a majority of
cases.   The expense is not half as much, the
trouble less, and  the usual passage but a day
or two  longer.   After passing  a day  very
pleasantly in Baltimore, at night I was off for
New-York,  where,  by the force  of steam, I
arrived  the  next  day at 4 p. m.   The inland
passage from Charleston costs about fifty dol-
lars, and by sea  about  twenty.   Persons
returning from the West Indies in the spring,
especially invalids,  will find it pleasanter to
land at Charleston,  and make the residue in-
land, instead of  venturing on  the northern
coast in bad weather; but, after the first of
May, in spite of sea-sickness, the  sea-passage
is far preferable to the inland. 
166         A WINTER IN THE

  I had  returned home with fear and trem-
bling, in the expectation of a return of my old
complaints, in a worse degree than at St. Au-
gustine ;  but happily, the result was far other-
wise, the cold being felt but little more here
than there ; and after contrasting my present
health with what it was  at leaving, my im-
provement  was found to  have been  much
greater than I had yet been aware of. Every
one who met me expressed their surprise at
the change, and  pronounced the cure com-
plete.  But in this they are mistaken.  The
first  wind  of  winter will drive  me south
again ; and it  would be presumptuous to at-
tempt to  avoid it.
  In four and a half months, during which
time the most that could have been expected
at the north would have  been the mainte-
nance of a miserable existence, by means of
heavy clothing and hot fires, with  constant
confinement, I made six voyages at sea, four
by steamboats, two hundred and thirty miles
by  railroads, and eighty  in stage  coaches,
which, altogether, amounted to forty-six hun-
dred miles by sea  and land, without suffering,
except from sea-sickness, and at an expense
of only about five  hundred  dollars for  the 
      WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    167

whole time.  By going  to  one place, and
there remaining during the  winter, the  ex-
penses of an  invalid need not exceed three
hundred dollars:  a mere  trifle,  compared
with the advantages almost sure to be gained
even by those who do not thereby regain their
health.  By this remark, however, I do not
mean to encourage the idea of sending abroad
patients with confirmed consumption.  It is
much better they should remain at home. 
168        A WINTER  IN THE
             CHAPTER XV.
             General Observations.

As Key West and St. Augustine are the only
places  claimed to  be favourable for invalids
in the United States, except some prospective
towns  in the vicinity of each, and as each of
these  are far inferior to a hundred  places in
the West Indies,  it becomes  unnecessary to
discuss the  merits of several  other places
which  were formerly much resorted to, but
which now send  their  quota  of invalids to
other and more favourable situations. During
my tour I have met with invalids from Bos-
ton,  New-Bedford,  Providence,  New-Haven,
New-York, Albany, Fonda, Utica, Rochester,
Buffalo, Philadelphia,  Indiana,  Ohio,  Balti-
more,  Charleston,  Savannah, Macon, Pensa-
cola, Tallahasse, (Fa.,) New-Orleans, and Tex-
as, and more  than five to one of the whole
number fully  agree with me in  the opinion,
that, with  some few exceptions,  arising  from
the nature or state  of the disease, any point in
the United  States  is,  by  its geographical po- 
       WEST  INDIES  AND FLORIDA.     169

sition, too cold to furnish the desired  relief,
and that Key West is the only place that  can
plausibly claim to be  an  exception  to  the
general rule.  As some may still feel disposed
to prefer the  latter rather  than  depart from
their own country, and others, though  prefer-
ring the  West  Indies, may, from some cause,
desire  to visit places there other than those
above  described, I will  proceed to detail such
information as I have been able  to obtain in
regard to places which, though not much re-
sorted  to, are  undoubtedly similar  in  many
respects to those above described.
   Porto  Rico,  a large Spanish island,  situate
only one to three  degrees to the  westward of
St. Croix, has a rich soil, producing sugar-
cane in  great  abundance  and with little la-
bour, with a large  proportion  of  wild,  uncul-
tivated land, covered with a heavy growth of
timber.  Large fortunes  have been, and no
doubt  may still be, made  there by purchasing
wild land  and commencing sugar estates.
The best  soil produces  from three to four
hogsheads of sugar to  the acre, besides  the
usual proportion of molasses, whereas  at St.
Croix  two hogsheads to the acre is considered
a  good crop.   From the  appearance  of the
              15 
170         A WINTER IN  THE

high lands which I saw, in passing along the
southerly coast,  it seemed to me that the cli-
mate, in  some parts of it at least,  must be
healthy;  but, generally  among those best ac-
quainted  with  the island,  the  climate is pro-
nounced  bad.  One of the boarding-houses at
St. Croix is kept by a lady  who owns an
estate in Porto Rico, but will not reside  upon
it on account of its unhealthiness.   A gentle-
man now residing at Key West for his health
informed me, however, that he spent part of a
winter at Porto Rico very pleasantly, and had
found no fault with the  climate.  This, to-
gether with its situation and appearance, con-
vinced me that  the  south-westerly part  of it
must enjoy a fine climate.  To the northward
and  eastward,  too many rains are attracted to
it in  the same  manner as at St. Croix, and the
soil being rich, new, and deep, no doubt re-
tains  sufficient moisture  to produce fevers;
and,  as this part is generally most settled, the
general reputation of unhealthiness has  fol-
lowed as a matter-of-course.  A person able
to enjoy  himself in travelling would probably
travel there without  injury, and perhaps with
benefit to his  health;  but the modes of con-
veyance  and  other accommodations for  tra- 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    171

vellers would not be likely to suit  an Ameri-
can, and Cuba,  Jamaica, or the Spanish Main,
would present a far more interesting field for
the observations of the traveller.
  The Windward Islands,  as they are called
at St. Thomas and St. Croix, were considered
by many well worth the expense of a visit,
though I never  heard one  of them spoken of
as a favourable resort for  invalids, and from
the description of them, contained in Halliday's
West Indies, it appears that most, if not all, of
them are unhealthy.  An English steamboat
runs from one to the other, and from thence to
Jamaica, touching at St.  Thomas,  making
regular trips, and carrying a mail, but the fare
is too high to suit Americans, who are in the
habit of going  by steam for from one to two
dollars the hundred miles.  From St. Thomas
to Jamaica, a distance of about five hundred
miles, it is  sixty dollars, besides one dollar and
fifty cents  per  day for meals, and for other
place's  in  proportion.   A fellow-passenger
from St. Croix  to  Trinidad, had visited Mar-
tinico,  St. Vincent, Barbadoes,  Nevis, Trini-
dad, and several other islands; and, although
highly pleased with  the situation and beauti-
ful  scenery of several,  particularly  those 
172         A WINTER IN THE

belonging to the British,  he agreed with me
in preferring the climate of Trinidad de Cuba
to any he had ever known.  He found no per-
ceptible improvement of his  health, till after
about two weeks' residence at the latter place,
when it became so great, that, contrary to his
previous intention of returning to Philadelphia
in the same vessel, he concluded to remain for
a month or two longer,  and was enjoying the
luxury of a fine climate, with continued bene-
fit, at the time of my departure.
   The Spanish Main, situate in  a favourable
latitude, with ample extent of territory, and
choice of elevation from the  plains on a level
with  the ocean, to the  loftiest  mountains,
must afford many excellent locations in point
of salubrity of climate.  An invalid disposed
to travelling  could scarcely find a country in
the  tropical  regions holding out  greater at-
tractions, but he  must have  the  requisite
amount of health left,  to  endure  fatigue and
such fare as he meets  with, there being no
boarding-house to fix up dainties for the deli-
cate, or any other suitable  provision for the
accommodation of the feeble.  Some of those
at St. Croix  made an  excursion  thither, and
were much pleased with the tour.   There are 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    173
frequent opportunities thither from St. Tho-
mas, and very good vessels are constantly sail-
ing to  and from New-York, and Laguira, and
Porto Cabello.
  Jamaica is a large British island, situate in
a favourable latitude, with abundance of high,
dry, and some very mountainous situations ;
and from all the information I can obtain, with-
out a single cause of unhealthiness of climate.
Still, while every  one agrees in pronouncing
it a very beautiful country, presenting many
attractions, I have never heard it recommended
as  a resort for invalids, but, on the contrary,
almost every one, in general terms, pronounces
it unhealthy.  The city of Kingston, from its
peculiar situation, is subject to  yellow fever
at all seasons of the year,  and, as that is the
principal port of  entry, all strangers going
there naturally take their  impressions of the
place from the prevalent opinion of the resi-
dents  of the  city, without particularly inquir-
ing into  the distinguishing circumstances
between town and country.  It is impossible
for me to believe,  however, that there are no
favourable locations for invalids in Jamaica.
Mountains  and  clear  rivers  are  highly
 favourable circumstances  to the salubrity o£
               15* 
174         A WINTER IN THE

 climate any where, particularly  in a tropi-
 cal latitude.  The variation in elevation  is
 great enough to give ample choice of temper-
 ature, from perpetual  summer heat, to the
 temperature of fall and spring, in New Eng-
 land.  In the higher regions, the  apple flour-
 ishes well,  and it must there be cool enough
 for any body; and no one will dispute that the
 lower ones are  hot enough.  Consumptions
 sometimes occur here, probably  among the
 mountains; and two years ago, one of the in-
 valids at St. Croix was a consumptive patient
 from Jamaica.   Circumstances like this have
 no doubt  contributed  to the generally unfa-
 vourable reputation of the climate.
   Those disposed to travel might  do well  at
 least to give it a fair examination.   If dissatis-
 fied, it is easy to get away; but the expenses
 of travelling and living there are greater than
 any where in Cuba, except Havana.  Those
 who are anxious to witness the practical ope-
 ration of the aboliton of slavery, will find an
 additional inducement  to  visit  the  island.  I
 have heard  many speak of it as highly disas-
 trous to the interests of the country.  Property
 of all kinds has fallen; in fine, business has
 almost come to a stand, it being impossible to 
       WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.    175

procure labourers to carry on the plantations.
The daily wages of negroes is  only twenty-
five cents besides their board, which, in point
of economy, would be better than to have
them slaves; but the  difficulty  is, they will
never work more than three days  at a time.
Seventy-five cents makes them rich, and they
are obliged to take the next three  days to spend
the money.  It is said, with how much accu-
racy I am unable to say, that in a warm cli-
mate, where the actual necessities  of life can
be so  easily procured, the natural improvi-
dence and indolence of the negro  raee ren-
ders it impossible  to  induce  them to work,
and  that  the recently freed slaves are gene-
rally an insolent, indolent, and, in all respects,
worthless class of  people   Exceptions no
doubt there are, but this is the general charac-
ter.   I have heard  no one who had ever been
there express a contrary opinion.
   The island of Cuba has so many cities and
towns besides  those I have visited, that a few
general remarks in  relation to several of them,
and the island  in general, can scarcely fail of
proving acceptable to the reader.   It is about
seven hundred miles  long,  extending  from
south-east to north-west,  contains from seven 
176         A WINTER IN  THE

hundred thousand to a million inhabitants, has
a luxuriant soil, healthy climate, and is by far
the most important of  all the West  Indies.
Formerly the Government was committed to
men unworthy of so important a trust, under
whose administration  crimes became preva-
lent, and went unpunished, bribery  furnish-
ing  a  good defence to all  accusations,  and
purchasing  exemption  from all penalties.
About ten  years  since, the  Government of
Spain  appointed  one  Tacon Captain-Gen-
eral,  with  full  powers over  all  the   pro-
vinces  and  provincial  Governors   of  the
island.  Under his vigorous administration a
code of laws was established and enforced;
pirates and robbers had their heads taken off
and  suspended in a kind of cage along the
streets,  as  a warning to evil-doers ;   thieves,
blacklegs, and swindlers, were put in prison,
and set to work in improving the cities ;  and
it soon became unsafe  to  attempt to carry on
lawsuits by bribery and perjury.  Although
he has ceased to be Captain-General, the com-
munity are still enjoying the blessings of his
laws and regulations ;  and, in no country per-
haps on earth, is there a greater regard paid to
the laws, or fewer crimes committed. 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    177

  Before  Tacon was Captain-General,  the
planters and other wealthy men took their
own time  to pay such debts as were owing to
poorer persons, or, rather, did not pay them at
all.  It was in vain to sue, for the expenses of
litigation were such, that  a poor man  could
never enforce a claim against a wealthy debt-
or.   Tacon adopted a new plan of enforcing
the claims of the poor against the rich. When
complaint was made in behalf of the former
against the latter, insteacf  of sending a writ,
the Governor would send to the  defendant
a requisition to  appear before  him at an ap-
pointed hour.  When he  arrived  he would
ask him if he owed such a person.   The an-
swer would be "yes, but it is not convenient to
pay it now; I will pay it in six months."   The
Governor  would then pay the debt himself,
and tell the defendant to recollect the Captain-
General was his creditor, and the day of pay-
ment  must be  remembered.   Creditors, of
course, were well pleased with this  new mode
of enforcing claims;  and defendants, however
displeased, were obliged to pay their debts, or
contend with an  opponent  more  powerful
than themselves.
   There is a standing army of about eighteen 
178        A WINTER IN  THE

thousand  men stationed in the different cities,
all paid, fed, and clothed at the expense of the
Government, almost exclusively for the pur-
pose of maintaining public order and insuring
public tranquillity.   Every soldier is a police-
man, whose especial duty it is to prevent  af-
frays, riots, (fee (fee, and arrest and secure  all
disturbers of the public peace.  If a citizen or
stranger is,  from any cause, apprehensive of
an attack in going through the city at night, a
soldier, or more if necessary, will go with him
and protect him from all harm.  I was pleased
with the fine appearance of the troops.  They
are mostly young men, exclusively Spaniards,
well  fed  and  neatly clad,  always having a
clean suit every morning, and  not  a man of
them ever gets drunk.  Our army might, in
several particulars,  take  lessons from these
Spanish troops with decided advantage.
  All articles  imported pay a duty of about
thirty per cent., and American flour is charged
with the enormous duty of ten dollars per bar-
rel.  The duty on salt also is about as  exorbi-
tant.  Instead of laying light duties on articles
of necessity, they put on the more ; because,
being articles of prime necessity, there is  no
danger that the duty will prevent the impor- 
       WEST INDIES  AND FLORIDA.     179

tation.  Aliens  are permitted to own  real
estate, without  becoming naturalized,  and
without extraordinary taxes.  Many  of our
citizens are owning plantations there, and de-
riving from them a great income.   Sugar
estates  are   extremely  profitable, generally
yielding  from forty to fifty per cent,  per an-
num  on the money  invested; but  it  takes
three or four years, with a large  capital, to
get fairly under-way, and but few have the
requisite  amount of money to  get  success-
fully in operation.  In  the province  of Fer-
nandina,  adjoining Trinidad on the  west,
there is plenty of sugar-land in market on the
following terms,  to  wit: First two years,
gratis ; next eight years, forty-five dollars to
the  one  hundred acres, annual  rent;  after
that,  seventy-five dollars the one hundred
acres for ever.   This exemption from rent
for the first  two years, is given to encourage
the  commencement  of sugar estates.   The
land is described as  of an excellent quality,
surpassing that  of Trinidad.  Last year, the
exports from the province were only  about
one-tenth ; this  year, nearly one-fourth ; and
in a few years, will no doubt equal, if not ex-
ceed, those  of Trinidad.  St. Furgos is the 
180         A  WINTER  IN THE

capital and  only port of entry, and is situate
on the southerly side of  the  island,  about
forty miles to the west of Trinidad.   From
the appearance  of  the country in passing,
and its vicinity to Trinidad, I have no doubt
the climate  is  good.   It  has not,  however,
such a barrier of mountains  on the north to
protect it from the cold winds.
  Cardinas,  a town  about twenty miles east-
erly  of Matanzas, on  the  north side of the
island, has lately been made  a  port of entry,
and  has  plenty of unimproved good  cane
lands in  its vicinity, to be had at about the
same terms as those of Fernandina.  A rail-
road is to be constructed from  thence  to the
cane-growing regions in the interior, which
will  make it a place of considerable import-
ance.  These  facilities for opening  sugar
estates  strongly incline  the coffee-planters
to sell their estates,  and  take up  this new
land.   Such is the expectation of profit from
the newly  made sugar estates,  that  coffee
estates may be bought at  a  sum which will
realize twenty-five per cent, per annum from
the  yearly  income.   The price   of  coffee
estates varies, according to  the quantity of
land and number of slaves, from ten to fifty 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    181

thousand dollars.  Sugar estates  are  gener-
ally larger, require more slaves, and produce
from twenty to a hundred and fifty thousand
dollars per  annum.   Nothing can be more
beautiful than  a coffee estate, or furnish a
more neat pleasant business, for a gentleman
who wishes to  live at his  ease, in a fine cli-
mate, and with a home that will supply every
luxury of life.   If gentlemen  who have the
means, instead of going to the West Indies
for a single winter,  when they find pulmo-
nary complaints approaching, and  then re-
turning to the north, where the summers are
almost as bad  for the lungs as  the winters,
could  be persuaded  to buy an estate and re-
move  to Cuba at once, they  would stand a
much  better chance  of ultimate recovery;
and, at all  events, contribute greatly to their
own  happiness during the residue of their
lives.  Many, however, would almost prefer
death, at home, to an exile from  their coun-
try ; but I am satisfied that most of their im-
pressions upon that  subject are  founded in
prejudice.
   The Catholic religion, and the mode of
burying strangers, have had  their influence
in deterring our  citizens  from removing to
              16 
182         A WINTER  IN THE

Cuba.  I had supposed that every one would
be compelled to  pay a tax for the support of
the church, but it is not so ; no one pays un-
less he chooses;  nor do the church or the
Government interfere with private opinion as
long as there  is  no open opposition to the
church.  By their  laws, however,  children
must  be christened;  marriage and  funeral
ceremonies performed by the Catholic church;
and, for every thing of the kind, an ample fee
is imposed, by way of support to the estab-
lished religion.
   The expenses  of a respectable burial  are
from two to five  hundred dollars, and about
the same for  sending the body  out of the
country.  The keepers  of all  public houses
are subjected to a penalty of fifty dollars  for
every neglect to report the death of any stran-
ger in their house, within twenty-four hours.
Their manner of disposing the bodies of de-
ceased strangers whose friends do not furnish
the requisite amount of money, is shocking
to the feelings of our countrymen.  At Ha-
vana there is not sufficient room in the stran-
gers' burying  ground to allow the bodies  a
grave  a-piece, or time  to decompose, before
being  thrown  up   again  in   digging  new 
     WEST INDIES AND  FLORIDA.      183

graves.   No parade is made over the  body
unless the regular church ceremony is paid
for;  but four negroes carry it in a  coffin to
the grave, which is always ready dug in ad-
vance, deep enough to admit of several; turn
the coffin over, and empty its contents into
the grave; throw over a little dirt;  and, with
the same coffin, go for another;  and, when
that  is  deposited,  throw over a little  more
dirt,  and so on as long as any room is left.
When the whole  ground has been  dug over
in this manner,  the  same process is  gone
through with again ;  and,  as there are no
coffins in the way, the bones are not much of
an  impediment to the digging.   Dry  bones
lay scattered about the surface, and piles of
them are raked up in the corners of this great
Potter's Field.  In other places  there is suffi-
cient room for graves, but the mode of inter-
ment, in other respects, is the same.  This has
often been spoken of by Americans as one of
the  principal objections to a  residence in
Cuba.  It would, however, have  but  little
weight with me, if in other  respects I  found
it of  advantage to go  there,  as  comforts
during life are, in my estimation, of more con-
sequence than ceremonies after death;  and 
IS 1         A WINTER IN THE

those ceremonies can  be  had, for the satis-
faction  of  friends, by  paying the necessary
charges.  This is the mode adopted there to
defray the expenses of the church ; and, how-
ever contrary to our feelings, is in reality no
worse, if as bad, as  a perpetual  tax  during
life for the  same purpose.   In St. Croix also
the same principle is adopted,  though  the
charge  is not so high for a funeral;  but for
carrying away a body, about two hundred
dollars  must be paid.   As an equivalent for
these  expenses, and  the  high duties  on  im-
ports, the Government is very indulgent as
to taxes upon real estate : the encouragement
of agriculture being with them  a favourite
object.  If heavy taxes,  on the  whole,  are
paid to the Government, it should be remem-
bered that they are not paid for nothing;  but
thereby the inhabitants secure the enjoyment
of their property, and  are relieved from  the
apprehension  of a rebelling of the  slaves,
which they would constantly labour  under,
but for  a standing army,  kept always ready
to put down the first efforts  at insurrection.
On the whole,  the  island is far better  go-
verned  than  Spain itself, and the inhabitants
are generally well satisfied to let things remain 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    185

as they are.  Those that have property, are of
course fearful of change; and those that have
not, are too lazy and indolent a class of peo-
ple  ever  to be  roused to a spirit of inde-
pendence.
  So great  is  the  indolence  of  the  poorer
classes, that no advantage  is  taken  of the
thousand  opportunities almost every-wherc
presented for the profitable application of in-
dustry. Scarcely half the land has ever been
cultivated at all, and much of it may  be had
at prices which place it within the power of
almost every  one to  become  a  freeholder.
But as long as a cigar can be obtained, smok-
ing is preferred to any kind of exertion, no
matter how great the reward.  Vegetables are
higher in  Trinidad market than  in  New-
York, and  are sometimes  scarce; and yet,
there are abundance of lands within one mile
of the city entirely  uncultivated,  which,
though not of the first quality, would yield
handsome incomes, with  American industry
and  enterprise to  manage them.
  I have spoken very  favourably of the cli-
mate of  Trinidad, and unfavourably of St.
Jagode Cuba.  It may be  asked why one
should not be as good as the other, when both
              16* 
186         A WINTER IN THE

are, in many respects, similarly situated? The
answer  is,  that although  St. Jago is  on the
south side  of the island, and has mountains
on  the  north, like  Trinidad, the former  is
closely hemmed in  on all sides, so as to ex-
pose it to the hot sun, without a free circula-
tion of air; whereas, the latter is entirely free
from  obstruction  to any  wind,  except the
north.  The country in  the vicinity  of St.
Jago  is said to be  perfectly healthy;  and I
have  no doubt there are other places  as  fa-
vourably situated, in respect to salubrity  of
climate, as Trinidad, but it is almost impossible
to conceive of any that can be more so.  On
the south side of the island, opposite Havana,
though warm enough, the air was  as  much
worse than that of Trinidad,  as the climate of
the swampy  regions of central New-York is
worse than that of  the most approved situa-
tion on the sea-board in summer.  This is the
natural consequence of frequent rains, a moist
soil, and rank vegetation.  Havana and  its
vicinity have all these, and frequent northers
besides.   Those  who merely wish  to get
away from the severity of northern winters,
and enjoy the luxurious living of a large city,
will find Havana a place, in almost every res- 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    187

pect, agreeable to their wishes.  Real invalids,
however, had better try some other place.
  Indian Key is a  small  island,  containing
only  about six acres of  land, situate about
sixty miles eastwardly from Key West; and is
owned by  a single individual, who has  ex-
pended   large  sums  of  money in  erecting
buildings,  to  make  it a  suitable resort  for
invalids,  but with little success.  The climate
is similar to that of Key West, and its soil is
far  superior, producing a  few plantains and
other West India vegetables.  Several adjacent
Keys also produce them in considerable abun-
dance.   The owner is now making efforts to
get it established as a port of entry, with what
success remains to be seen.  As a resort for
invalids, it has nearly all the objections of
Key West, besides its very limited dimensions,
which must  always prevent  its successful
competition with  that place.  Several other
little  Keys in  its vicinity are about being
fitted up for the same purpose, but can never
reasonably hope to succeed  to any  consider-
able  extent.   When several of  them shall
come to be inhabited, the monotony may be
broken by  passing from one to the other ;  and,
between them and Key West, many will, no 
188        A  WINTER  IN THE
doubt, pass off a winter  with tolerable pa-
tience ;  but time  passes slowly on these little
islands, and, as long as the West Indies fur-
nish a better  climate and  greater attractions,
they must  and will be  preferred to any place
in our country, by a great majority of travel-
ling invalids.   Cape Florida has been  much
thought of, as possessing a  fine climate, good
soil, and other natural advantages, superior to
either of the above-mentioned Keys; but, for
the present, the settlement is broken up, and
every inhabitant driven  off by the Indian war.
  When the Indians broke up the settlement,
after having killed or taken all the other in-
habitants, they proceeded to the light-house to
take the keeper and his family, if any. He
had with  him only one person, and  that a
slave.  As  the enemy  entered  below,  he as-
cended the stairs, tearing them up after him,
to prevent  their  following.  In this he was
successful,  but he found another difficulty to
contend with.  They  set  fire  to the  wood-
work within, which blazed through to the top,
and compelled the unfortunate refugees to get
on  to  the  top of the  wall, thus exposing
themselves to the heat  of the flames,  and
but illy protecting themselves from the fire  of 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    189

the enemy.  The  negro  was scorched  to
death, and the keeper, after getting a ball-hole
through one of his hands and each of his feet,
was abandoned by the Indians, and was after-
wards taken down and saved.
  Even when this obstacle shall be removed,
it  is doubtful whether  its other  advantages
over Key West will  be sufficient  to compen-
sate for the evil of about two  degrees higher
north latitude, and a  large extent of very low
country in its vicinity, which, in spite of  all
that may be said, ever must affect the atmos-
phere  injuriously.  When the southern part
of East  Florida  shall become more  settled,
many suppose that some  situation in the inte-
rior may be found, more favourable  to health
than any place in our country yet  known;
but, until such discovery is made, I must  re-
main of the opinion that  a country abounding
in swamps  and hammocks, as Florida  does,
whenever it shall become fully  settled, will
find invalids enough among its own popula-
tion,  without any supply from other places,
and that the invalids of the north will always
find places possessing tenfold advantages. 
190        A  WINTER  IN  THE
             CHAPTER XVI.
                 Preparations.

Ladies travelling for their health,  must of
course go under the care of some friend or
relative ; but gentlemen, who  do not expect
to be confined to their room, will find it more
convenient to leave their wives, if they have
any, at home, especially  if they have much
disposition to travel.   The opportunities for
passages between  the  islands are often un-
suitable for ladies, but such as would answer
for gentlemen ; and any one who has tried it
cannot doubt that ladies are not the best tra-
velling companions, in the West Indies.  Be-
sides, it is not generally agreeable to them to
make voyages at sea,  or journeys by land,
where means of travelling are  not  conve-
nient.  When, however, it is  determined to
remain  at one place, almost every  married
gentleman would enjoy himself much better
for the society, if not for the care and atten-
tion, of his wife.
  As to clothing,  although a  sufficient sup- 
WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    191
ply of cloaks, over-coats, thick boots, (fee (fee,
should be taken to keep warm  on the out-
ward and homeward voyages, it should always
be  remembered, that  light summer clothing
will be principally wanted on  arrival at, and
while remaining within, the tropics.   Flan-
nel, however, should  not be dispensed with
by  an invalid for a moment, in a West India
or any other climate.   However uncomforta-
ble by day, it  is unsafe to be without it  at
morning and evening.  At St. Augustine, it
is too cold for  summer clothing at all during
the winter months, and, at Key West, it will
not answer more than half of the time.  Fa-
milies  intending to keep house, should not
encumber themselves with too many articles
of furniture : a few light articles, such as mat-
tresses, cots,  light bedding, a  sofa, a few
chairs,  and a small  assortment  of crockery
and cooking utensils.   There is no particu-
lar importance  in taking any articles of pro-
visions, except a little fine, well packed but-
ter, and some  choice cheese ;  both of which
are articles hard to be purchased in the West
Indies.  Almost every  other  article can  be
bought in abundance almost anywhere ; but
there would be no loss in buying many other 
 192        A  WINTER IN THE

 things at  home.  Let none omit to take such
 medicines as may  be needed, for  the  cost of
 drugs of every kind is  outrageous in all the
 islands, as  far  as  my  knowledge extends.
 None but  licensed  druggists  can sell,  and
 they avail themselves of the advantage  of a
 monopoly.   As specimens, I need only men-
 tion that, at St. Croix, they  asked twenty
 cents an ounce for  stick licorice, which is
 worth eight  cents  a pound;  and in Cuba,
fifty cents  an ounce for super carbonate of
 soda, worth twenty-five  cents a pound.
   Some took their horses and carriages to St.
 Croix, which was well enough as to the car-
 riages ;  but  horses could  be  bought there
 cheaper than  in New-York, and it  cost as
 much as their whole value to carry them out.
 To almost  any island except the Danish,
 both horses and carriages would be charged
 too high a duty to make it profitable to  take
 either.  Horses  are very low  in  Cuba, and
 the duty on carriages is extravagant.
   As to money,  gold and silver only will an-
swer. Silver dollars are good any where.  Pa-
 triot doubloons for the Windward Islands, and
Spanish for Cuba, are the most profitable mo- 
       WEST INDIES AND FLORIDA.    1&3

ney that can be taken, there being about one
and a half per cent, profit on each. In coming-
down from the windward to Cuba, something
may be made by buying Spanish doubloons
for Patriots at a premium  of fifty cents, and
selling them at a premium of one dollar each
at Havana.
  On leaving home, many are apt to under-
rate the importance of securing  suitable and
prompt correspondents,  so  that every arrival
may bring  them something fresh  from home.
Newspapers and literary periodicals are  also
read with double interest when  abroad, and
due care should be taken to have a sufficient
supply promptly  forwarded.  By some  mis-
take of my friend, I was without any direct
information from  home during the whole
winter, which was a continual source of an-
noyance, disappointment, and irritation.  To
watch several days for an expected vessel,
straining the eyes by gazing upon the  sea, and
when it came, find neither  letter  or paper for
me, was more than my patience could endure
without sore vexation; and still I was obliged
to submit to it six or seven times.
  Above all other considerations, prepare  to
go early— early in the stage of  the disease,
             17 
194         A WINTER IN THE
and early in the season.  Nearly half the in-
valids fail to derive much benefit from change
of climate, solely for the reason that they have
waited till their  cases were hopeless before
trying it:  making it a last, and, in many cases,
an entirely useless  resort.   Instead  of being
the last, it should be the first resort.   When-
ever any affection of the lungs continues long-
er than an ordinary cold, serious  danger is
always justly to be apprehended ; and no time
should be lost  in applying the most  effectual
remedy—to wit, a mild,  gentle climate, with
even temperature.  How much more  pleasant,
as well as advantageous it is,  to go while
able to enjoy the benefit of exercise by tra-
velling  in the open air, with almost a cer-
tainty of effecting  a cure, than to delay till
the disease  has got firm foothold, so as  to
confine one to the house, and  render the re-
covery doubtful, if not entirely hopeless.   I
have heard  so many express such  deep re-
gret, that they had not availed themselves of
the remedy before it was too late,  that I can-
not forbear to impress upon every  invalid the
importance of fleeing from the severe climate
of the north, on the first appearance of dis-
ease, as  he would from the most merciless 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    195

and deadly enemy.   Instead of waiting till
December, as I did, go in September, and
thus avoid the fall months, which are as bad,
if not worse, than winter; and, instead of re-
turning in April, as I was  compelled to do,
by  previous   arrangements, make  arrange-
ments before leaving, not to return till the
first  of June.  In  a climate where  the  tem-
perature is subject  to changes of forty degrees
a day, the summer  months are quite bad
enough for invalids—fall, winter, and spring,
extremely  dangerous, if not deadly.  Many
suppose the heat will be too great to remain
late in the West Indies ; but this is a mistake,
for  they  are  not  subject  to  as great  heat
during the summer as  our northern  States,
and  there is generally but about ten degrees
difference between summer and winter.  In
cases of any considerable long standing, the
best course would  be to remain  eighteen
months, at least, before returning, instead of
rushing into  the  cold  spring  winds of the
north just as  the  work of recovery is fairly
commenced.   Many have  gone  from  the
West Indies apparently well, and died imme-
d^itely  on their return.  In  many cases  a
warm climate furnishes a perfect remedy as 
196         A WINTER  IN THE

long as it is continued, but will never restore
the patient so as to enable  him to be com-
fortable  at  the  north.   Whenever  this  is
found to be the case, however  severe it may
seem, it is far better to abandon  home and
remove to a more hospitable climate  at once.
I know the sacrifice is  great,  but ought  not
to weigh  against the loss of  health, happi-
ness,  and  life itself.   Many,  after  getting
reconciled to  the idea of leaving their own
country, will find the sacrifice often not so
great as  was anticipated.   Many places  in
the West  Indies offer ample rewards to the
enterprising  and economical  investment of
capital,  afford all  the  means  of  an  agree-
able, or even luxurious mode of living, and a
frequency of communication with the United
States almost equal to  that afforded by  our
mails between distant  places in our own
country.   Many may  still adhere  to  the
opinion that  some  place  in   our southern
States or Territories may answer the purpose;
but after having tried it, if not before, they
will learn the mistake.  Key West, though
far superior in point of climate to any other
place at  home, is too cold in winter; and, of
course, places four or five hundred miles fur- 
       WEST  INDIES  AND FLORIDA.     197

ther north must be subject to the same objec-
tion in a greater  degree;  besides the general
unhealthiness  of almost  every  place that
could be resorted to  with any  prospect of
engaging in trade, agriculture, or other lu-
crative  pursuit.   I have sought  in vain to
find a single position  free from these  objec-
tions, and, if driven  finally from the  north,
shall give the island of Cuba the preference
to all other places.
   Not  being a physician, it is  impossible for
me to  specify with accuracy  the particular
diseases  or  states of disease which would be
most benefitted by one or other of the climates
above mentioned.   Upon this point every one
must consult his own  physician, who,  with a
proper knowledge of the facts, will be able to
give the proper advice, not only as to the best
place of resort, but also as to the course to be
pursued by the invalid on the way, and after
his arrival.  No one should neglect this prepa-
ration.   Clarke on Climate and Diseases may
be  read  with  advantage upon this subject.
He considered  the selection of a climate, and
a  careful attention to the diet and exercise of
each particular patient,  matters of the first
importance.  The advice of a good physician, 
198         A WINTER IN THE

therefore, should never be neglected.   In se-
vere cases it is quite as important in regard
to the preparation for the voyage or journey
as in relation to the treatment, diet, and exer-
cise on arrival at the place of destination.
  Persons  in delicate  health,  though  not
seriously  threatened  with disease,  and  all
others sensitive to  the effects  of cold, instead
of confining  themselves within  doors,  and
hovering around  fires for six months in the
year,  will find themselves amply rewarded
for a voyage to the West Indies, in  the in-
creased  enjoyment of  life,  independent of
any  permanent  improvement  of health.—
Although the general  tenor of my observa-
tions in the course of the preceding work is
more particularly applicable to invalids  and
the effects of the different climates above de-
scribed in cases of disease,  it has been my
constant endeavour to intersperse the work
with such matters as would excite the atten-
tion and interest of the general reader. Those
who never expect to visit the places above
described, it is humbly hoped, will derive suf-
ficient information to compensate for  the  pe-
rusal of a small  volume;  and invalids  and
others expecting to visit the West Indies will 
       WEST  INDIES AND FLORIDA.    199

probably duly appreciate the humble  endea-
vour  of the author to  obviate the defect of
information upon a subject  so  important to
their  interests.   That  the  work  has been
hastily written,  is undeniable: of its  imper-
fections the author is fully aware;  but, that
the description  of every place is,  in  all re-
spects, accurate,  impartial, and fair,  is most
confidently asserted.   All  contrary accounts
must have resulted from want of information,
interest,  or prejudice.   The little time de-
voted to the  work, the inexperience of the
author in the  art, trade, and mystery of book-
making, and  a  pressure of delayed  profes-
sional business, foreign to the subject matter
in  question, have conspired to prevent a pro-
per pruning of the language, and to render
the work obnoxious to critical strictures.   In
conclusion, I can  only ask  the  indulgent
consideration of the reader, and tender my
sincere thanks for a patient perusal.
THE END. 
NLM031936658