KINGSTON—GEN. SANTA ANNA’S RESIDENCE. 
199 
are crowding to the shore. Our pilot sings out, “ let go the 
anchor,” the wheels are reversed, and we are warping around to 
the dock, which is crowded with natives as black as Erebus. 
Our plank is soon out, and our steamer belches forth her cargo 
of Californians, who, in profusion of beard and hideousness of 
aspect, would, no doubt, have compared favorably with those 
earlier adventurers under Columbus, who had the honor of land¬ 
ing here in advance of us. We found the inhabitants extremely 
attentive, particularly those who had goods to sell, and they 
were principally Jews. We were followed by these insinuating 
individuals, and kindly informed that by going a half mile we 
could buy anything we wanted. We were at a loss to know 
whether we were really in want, but were very kindly informed 
that we were in want of everything. Oh ! Chatham street, how 
thou hast been defamed ! Certainly, Kingston instead of Chat¬ 
ham street, is the Jewdom of the world. 
I had a note of introduction from Mr. Moreau, whom I met at 
Gorgona, to his family at Kingston. I am not prepared to say 
that I was in a presentable condition. As near as memory 
serves me, I had on a gay colored “poncho,” a slouched hat 
and long boots, saying nothing about the whiskers and mous¬ 
tache. I found an accomplished daughter, who was a good 
English scholar and fine pianist, and a mother who spoke nothing 
but French: My stay was short, but under other circumstances 
I should have wished a prolongation. 
Many of the passengers visited General Santa Anna, whose 
villa was one mile from Kingston. He was living in great 
splendor, and was found extremely affable, speaking the Eng¬ 
lish language fluently. Kingston is a town of considerable 
extent, the streets running at right angles, well-shaded; numerous 
churches and schools; the buildings generally of brick, built low 
to prevent disasters from hurricanes. The inhabitants are gen¬ 
erally instructed in the rudiments of an English education, and 
are quite intelligent, but all complain of poverty. The island 
produces fruit in abundance, it hardly commands a price, ex¬ 
cepting on the arrival of a steamer, when it is higher than in 
almost any market in the world. The natives have taken valu¬ 
able lessons from the Jews, and appear to have acquired their 
peculiar business habits with the greatest facility. One of them 
