80 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1904. 



Passing in and out among these islands clad in their tropical 

 verdue, we finally see in the distance what seems to be a stretch 

 of land enveloped in a cloud; this is Jamaica, but, as we come 

 nearer, the cloud gradually disappears and the beautiful Blue 

 Mountain stands out in all its grandeur, towering 7,000 feet 

 above sea level and rising abruptly from a short distance inland. 



We now land at Port Antonio on the northeastern part of 

 the island and are greeted by the natives, eighty per cent, 

 of whom are negroes; and, in their somewhat dilapidated 

 carriages drawn by poorer horses, we are conveyed to the 

 hotel. Our first meal will be an enjoyable one, for we are 

 treated to the many tropical fruits in addition to some of our 

 northern products that have been brought down on the boat 

 with us. 



The first tropical sunset will, I think, be the most fascinating 

 pleasure we will have. The beautiful blue of the water, the 

 gorgeous coloring of the sunset and the tropical verdure of 

 the island combine to make a picture that cannot be excelled, 

 and which might be illustrated by the German, who was so 

 enraptured by a beautiful painting which he w^as studying that 

 he exclaimed, "Der is only von word in de English language 

 dat explains it and dat word I forgot." 



Our first day is over and in the time that follows, our ex- 

 periences may not be as rosy, for, during our trip, we shall 

 many times have to depend upon native cooking and encounter 

 native customs that will require all the Yankee shrewdness 

 that we can command in order to get along. 



The sea bathing at Port Antonio is most delightful, the 

 water being very warm. It is here that the eyestones are 

 found and we dive down and bring up a handful of sand and 

 find on examination of it several of these very useful stones. 

 We will carry them in our pockets for we may have occasion 

 to use them on the trains, as w? pass through many tunnels 

 with the car windows wide open. 



The cocoanut tree is the first object that attracts the traveler's 

 attention, being found on or near the coast. They seem to 

 grow spontaneously and add a great deal to the beauty of 



