280 The National Geographic Magazine 



Mr "if* 



Photo l>\- Israel C. Russell 



A Typical Town of the West Indies 



strong Africans who well understood the 

 situation, was loaded with relief sup- 

 plies for the hundreds of refugees in 

 Georgetown, on the top of which as 

 many men as wished took passage. The 

 boat was rowed to the buoy, where, after 

 many unsuccessful attempts, the cable 

 leading shoreward was grasped by strong 

 hands. The waves were there rolling 

 heavily, surging through the timbers of 

 the pier, and breaking with a heavy roar 

 on the gravelly beach. By means of the 

 cable the boat, with her freight of Amer- 

 can codfish, American bacon, and living 

 examples of the people from the same 

 land, was drawn alongside the pier and 

 held there, although surging up and 

 down with each incoming wave. From 

 the pier projected a rude derrick, made 

 of boards, at the end of which was a 



pulley. and over the pulley passed a rope'' 

 from which was suspended a rectangular 

 box about three feet square. The der- 

 rick and cage had been made hurriedly, 

 for the purpose of embarking some of 

 the people injured during the late dis- 

 aster, and was by no means an attractive 

 vehicle in which to be lifted from a crazy 

 boat. The ascent was made safely, 

 however, but the uncertainties attend- 

 ing it awakened the keenest sympathy 

 for the sufferers who descended by the 

 same means an hour later. 



From the extemporized hospital some 

 fort)' of the convalescent patients, who 

 were burned on Ma)' 7, were taken to 

 the end of the pier, lowered into the 

 dancing boat, and conveyed to the Wear, 

 where they were taken on board by 

 strong, willing hands as gently as the 



