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rilE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



resolved into shades, and slowly into 

 colors — gray volcanic rocks, dry yellow 

 turf, and green patches of trees. Then 

 contours became traceable, smooth 

 rounded shoulders of hills frayed out 

 into jagged strata, with the close-shaven 

 fur of bushes and shrubs, and occa- 

 sional tall slender palms reminding one 

 of single hydroids on the sargasso 

 fronds. A thread of smoke drifting 

 free from a palm grove was the first 

 sign of life, and after a few minutes of 

 twisting and turning, the steamer nosed 

 out her circuitous channel, and from 

 the very heart of the island the great 

 crater harbor opened before us. 



The beautiful hills rolled up and 

 upward, and to their feet Charlotte 

 Amalie. crowned with Bluebeard's 

 castle, clung obliquely, her streets 

 climbing with astonishing steepness. 

 The little town was newdy roofed, all 

 the picturesque old red ones having 

 been ripped off in the last hurricane. 

 The houses were as flat, quite as like 

 cardboard theatrical scenery, as ever. 



At the sight of a distant flag I en- 

 deavored to thrill patriotically at the 

 thought that this island was now a part 

 of the United States. I would have 

 been more successful, however, if I 

 could have recalled the vision of some 

 fellow countryman in far distant time, 

 landing on these slopes and taking pos- 

 session by right of discovery. Even if 

 some burly, semipiratical American 

 adventurer had annexed it for his presi- 

 dent ])}' feat of arms, my blood would 

 have flowed less calmly than it did at 

 the thought of so many millions of dol- 

 lars paid as droit de possession. How- 

 ever, a tropic bird flew past and put the 

 matter out of mind. 



As always, near the wharf thrived 

 the same little open barroom, with its 

 floral-bedecked mirrors, selling good 

 beer and vile soda. Aside from a flag 

 here and there, the only sign of the 

 change of nationality was several mo- 

 torcycles with side cars which Ameri- 

 can soldiers drove like Jehu throu2:h the 



narrow streets, hustling natives and 

 their tiny carts and ponies to one side, 

 and leaving enduring trains of gasoline- 

 scented dust. A few minutes' walk up 

 one of the steep streets and all was quiet 

 and unhurried, and the sense of a yet 

 undigested possession, of embarrassing 

 novelty of purchase, slipped aside and 

 we knew that St. Thomas was still the 

 unspoiled little island which the slow 

 mellowing growth of West Indian evo- 

 lution had made it. ^Ye climbed slowly 

 up the steep road toward Mafolie, and 

 behind us the glory of this wonderful 

 island unfolded and spread, the roofs of 

 the town shifting into strange geomet- 

 ric figures, and the harbor circle widen- 

 ing. We passed negroes and pleasant 

 sunburned Danes driving tiny burros 

 laden with small fagots and with 

 grass. At one turn a tamarind tree was 

 in full blossom, and here were gathered 

 all the humming birds and butterflies 

 of the island — or so it seemed. At last 

 we reached a ravine, dry as everything 

 else at this season on the island, and 

 walked slowly up it, catching butter- 

 flies. They were in great numbers and 

 gayly colored. The strangest sight was 

 hundreds of large, brown millipedes 

 clinging to the stems of bushes and 

 small trees, apparently finding more 

 moisture in the steady trade winds than 

 in the soil, which even under large 

 stones, was parched and dry; dragon 

 flies were abundant, but the dominant 

 forms were butterflies and spiders. 



The road wound over the top of the 

 ridge, and from its summit we looked 

 down on the other half of the island. 

 Xo house or trace of cultivation was 

 visible and the beauty of the view was 

 l)eyond adequate description. KoUing, 

 comfortably undulating hills were be- 

 low us, and in front a taller, rounded 

 one like the head of some wearied tropi- 

 cal giant. Beyond this, a long curved 

 arm of richest green had been stretched 

 carelessly out into the sea, inclosing a 

 bay which, from our height, looked like 

 a small pool, l)ut such a pool as would 



