THE ISLAND OF MARTINIQUE 353 



near by? . . . She knew 'all these paths by heart; surely they 

 must have haunted her dreams in the aftertime! 



The beautiful garden is now little more than a wreck of what it 

 onee was; since the fall of the empire it has been shamefully 

 abused and neglected. Some agronome, Bent out to take charge of 

 it by the republic, began its destruction by cutting down acres of 

 enormous and magnificent trees, including a superb alley of 

 palms, for the purpose of experimenting with roses. But the 

 rose-trees would not be cultivated there, and tie- serpents avenged 

 the demolition by making the experimental garden unsafe to 

 enter; they always swarm into underbrush and shrubbery after 

 forest-trees have been cleared away. . . . Subsequently the garden 

 was greatly damaged by storms and torrential rains; the moun- 

 tain river overflowed, carrying bridges away and demolishing 

 stonework. No attempt was made to repair these destructions; 

 but neglect alone would not have ruined the loveliness of the place 

 barbarism was necessary ! Under the present negro-radical 

 regime, orders have been given for the wanton destruction of trees 

 older than the colony itself; and marvels that could not be re- 

 placed in a hundred generations were cut down and converted into 

 charcoal for the use of public institutions. 



Tin- capital, Fort-de-France, formerly Fort Royal, is 

 situated on a beautiful but shallow bay near the south end 

 of the west side of the island. The town, though secon- 

 dary in commercial importance to St. Pierre, is the military 

 center and arsenal of the French Antilles, the rendezvous 

 of the navy, the terminus of the French transatlantic 

 steamships and West Indian cable system. It was half 

 ruined by an earthquake in 1839, and nearly consumed by 

 a fire in 1890. After the last event the inhabitants offered 

 a bounty of fifty per cent, of the value of the old buildings 

 to help rebuild, and eighl hundred thousand dollars has 

 been thus spent. Among the several interesting statues 

 adorning its public gardens the most aoted is thai of the 

 Empress Josephine, erected by the people of the island in 

 honor i f her nativity. 



Throughout the island there are many little villages, 

 such as Le Montine, Petit Bourg, Le Francois. Grande 



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