THE ISLAND OF CURACAO. 



15 



in this harbor. Its formation is due to the coral structure of the 

 island. 



The town lies on both sides of the harbor mouth, but does not 

 extend back to the Lagoon. The portion to the right is called 

 Willemstad, whilst that to the left is called Overzijde or Otrabanda, 

 which are Dutch and Spanish respectively, and mean about the same 

 as the English "other shore." Just before the channel debouches 

 into the Lagoon, the land on either side rises into rugged hills, the 

 one to the right being the higher and being surmounted by a small 

 fortification. Fort Nassau. Owing to the elevation of this fort, it 

 commands a view of the sea for a 

 long distance around, and from it 

 are displayed signals announcing 

 the approach of vessels. From it, 

 also, a time-gun is fired daily. 



After passing the forts with 

 groups of Dutch soldiers in curious 

 ill-fitting uniforms, ridiculously tall 

 forage caps, and short heavy swords 

 at their sides, we went through a 

 drawbridge of rather novel con- 

 struction, proceeded a quarter of 

 a mile inland, and finally our vessel 

 turned around (though there hard- 

 ly seemed room for it to do so), 

 and we tied up along the western 

 shore, sparred ofp to a distance of 

 fifteen feet. The water is wonder- 

 fully clear, and we saw numbers of 

 fish of different kinds and sizes swimming about. There were sev- 

 eral other steamers in the harbor, the Caracas of the Red " D " Line 

 bound north, the branch steamer Maracaibo, a German steamer, 

 and beyond, in the Lagoon, a couple of small men-of-war, Spanish 

 and Dutch. 



DUTCH SOLDIER AT CURACAO. 



