44 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1895. 



high hills. It is separated from Porto Rico by the Mona Passage. 

 The ruountains are between nine and ten thousand feet high. It was 

 here that slavery was first introduced on this continent. For nearly a 

 century they have had their freedom, but they have utterly failed to 

 demonstrate to the world their capability to govern themselves. They 

 are fast relapsing into barbarism. We were told that cannibalism 

 was actually practiced in the interior of the island ; a fact which we 

 could readily believe. Darwin must have travelled in this island 

 when he became convinced of the origin of his ancestors/' The 

 monkeys had a more civilized look than some of the native Haytians. 

 It is said that they are less civilized than the blacks of Central Africa. 

 The white man here cannot own any land except through his black 

 wife. They cannot vote or hold office. In Jacmel, the richest mer- 

 chant's wife was as black as the stove. Some of his children were 

 white and some were black. It was wonderful to see how carelessly 

 the native women would walk along with a large tray of cakes and 

 fruit upon their heads. They would also carry kegs of water. We 

 walked into the country and saw them half-clad, standing in a shallow 

 stream, thrashing the garments upon rocks, which speedily wears them 

 out ; so that one must be well supplied with linen when travelling where 

 washing is done in this primitive fashion. The little children were 

 playing by the wayside untrammelled by the useless article of clothing. 



The black men will do anything to get rid of work ; lie, steal or 

 live upon the earnings of the women. Our custom-house officer was 

 a black man ; and, in the absence of the captain, he stole one hundred 

 and fifty dollars in gold from a desk in the state-room, which was care- 

 lessly left unlocked. It was useless to look after him, as he left the 

 place ; and with such a princely sum for that climate, where little 

 clothing is needed and where nature has provided abundance to eat, 

 he could live in luxury for a long time. 



Nature has done everything for this island. The luxuriance of tlie 

 tropical vegetation is something that cannot be comprehended by one 

 who has not seen it. The laborer is repaid with three harvests a year. 

 The tall trees are filled with blossoms of every variety and color. 

 Those which are not flowering trees are a support for various climbing 

 plants, which unfold their fragrant blossoms to adorn the tree. In a 

 land so full of bloom the wild honey is abundant. Tins is truly a 

 land llowing with milk and honey. The bad government, however, 

 keeps the white man with his enterprise from its doors. 



The beautiful oleander, with its huge bunches of rose-colored blos- 

 soms, claimed our admiration, and carried us back to childhood days, 



