Chapter 15 Chapter XV. St. Maarten and St. Barthelemy

The Spirit kept heading east, heading out to sea.In fact, St. Maarten, Solomon Island, Anguilla Island, Barbuda Island, and Antigua Island are the frontier islands of the Antilles chain islands in the northeast of the Windward Islands. After losing the shelter of St. Croix's land, the Spirit encountered a stronger trade wind and had to meander through rough seas, with jib, topsail, and topsail still hoisted. , that is, turning the sail and falling too frequently.Tony Reynolds and Magnu Anders are immensely proud to have been given the helm several times. The distance between St. Croix and St. Maarten is less than 200 nautical miles. If the weather is calm, a sailboat can travel fast, and it can be completed in 24 hours.But if there is a head wind and the tide rushing up the Gulf of Mexico, the sailing time will be three times longer.

In addition, the Ingenuity will almost always see many steamers or sailboats.The waters in this region are busy, with active sea traffic between the islands from St. Thomas to Trinidad. As for Harry Markle, he hasn't let down his usual vigilance.He avoided the sea where these ships could see him and communicate with him.He preferred to keep a leeward course to avoid contact with them.This prudent move always satisfied his men.After leaving the stops on St. Thomas and St. Croix in a smooth manner, is it possible to do so smoothly on other islands? …So, John Carpenter, Coty, and the others, who had calmed down from their initial fears, were more confident than they had ever been instilled by their leaders.They still can't wait to wrap up their tour in the Antilles.

Mr Pattenson did feel a little uncomfortable during this headwind, but the cherry pits helped, and he didn't have much to complain about. In addition, in July and August, the bad weather is not terrible at all, just some strong winds and heavy rains, and they are also caused by the strong tropical heat.The climate of the Antilles is particularly stable, with only twenty degrees of mercury fluctuation on the thermometer.No doubt the change is more marked when it rains than when it is hot, and if hailstones seldom coincide with heavy rains, they often fall in torrential downpours. In fact, the islands of the Antilles are most susceptible to atmospheric disturbance due to the invasion of sea winds.Other islands, such as St. Croix, St. Eustache, St. Christopher, and Glenada Islands, are rarely visited by storms because of the moisture in the Caribbean waters.Additionally, most piers in the Windward Islands face west or southwest, thus providing a reliable barrier to passing ships from strong waves.

On August 3rd, the Spirit was held up by trade winds, and the evening was over when St. Maarten was sighted. However, when they were about to reach the anchorage after sailing five or six nautical miles, the young passengers discovered the highest mountain on St. Maarten, with a height of 585 meters. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the mountain golden yellow. As everyone knows, St. Maarten is divided between the Netherlands and France, so the French and Dutch students on the Spirit will again see parts of their respective countries in the West Indies.If Albertus Lewin was about to set foot on the hot land of his hometown, then it was not for Louis Clodijon and Tony Renault.They were born in the Guadero Islands and Martinique respectively.The Dutch lad was born in Filisburg, the capital of the island.The Spirit will berth at the pier.

If St. Maarten is currently the territory of France and Netherlands, its northwest outpost is the small island of Antigua, which can be said to be a reef island, which has the same territory as St. Christopher Island and Nevis Island. There is only a narrow strait between them, and the water depth exceeds 25 to 30 meters.It is impossible not to increase the seabed, which is originally coral-calcareous, due to the protracted erosion of ciliates, or even due to the uplift of plutonic bodies.In this way, St. Maarten and Anguilla would only form the same island. What will become of the Antilles, to which France and Britain belong? ... Can three countries live in harmony on one island? ... Is the last island in the Antilles named Trinidad worthy of its name? Will the peace under the protection of the flags of the three countries last forever? ...

The next day, a pilot boarded the Spirit and drove the Spirit through the channel and into the Filisburg wharf. Located on a narrow beach between a small semicircular bay and a large salt pan, the city of Filisburg is the center of important exploration activities.The main economic source of St. Maarten is the high-yield salt field, and the annual salt production is estimated to be no less than 3.6 million shi. Indeed, some of these salt pans must undergo constant maintenance.The evaporation of salt fields is too large, and they will dry up soon if they are not maintained.Therefore, sometimes an opening is opened on the side of the long and narrow peninsula close to the coast to introduce a large amount of seawater, which is especially necessary for the Phillisberg Salt Field.

Albertus Lewin does not have any relatives on St. Maarten.They have lived in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, for fifteen or sixteen years.Albertus Löwin himself left Filipsburg for Europe at a very young age and had no memory of St. Maarten.Among the nine winners of the Antilles Middle School, only Huber Perkins' parents are still in the British colony of Antigua, and the parents of the other students have all returned to their hometowns in Europe.This visit to St. Maarten was, for Albertas Lewin, a chance, and perhaps the last, to revisit the land of his birth. Although St. Maarten is a colony of France and the Netherlands, don't think that there are no British there.Of a population of about 7,000, 3,500 are French, and about 3,400 are English, a roughly equal number.

Everyone understands that the rest are the Dutch. Free trade is common in Sint Maarten.Administrative self-government was essentially comprehensive, and a genuine prosperity emerged from it.It does not matter whether the saltworks of St. Maarten are in the hands of the French or Dutch, for the English do not trade in salt, but in other trades, especially those connected with the consumer goods and firms they run, and they The items in the open store are abundant, and there are always a lot of customers. The Spirit stays at St. Maarten for twenty-four hours, or at least that long at the Phillisberg anchorage.

There, Harry Markle and his men don’t have to worry about being recognized. In short, this danger is more dangerous than St. Lucia, Antigua and Dominica in the British Antilles where they are going. Large, perhaps especially large on Barbados, Mrs. Karen Seymour's island of residence, for the Antilles secondary school enjoys the touristy stay of the Gurkinsons sure to procrastinate. Mr. Pattenson and his little traveling companions can roam the narrow streets of Filisburg to their heart's content.On the long and narrow beach to the west of the sea, there are rows of houses in Filisburg.

As soon as Albertus Lewin's excursion was over, it seemed that the Spirit was about to set sail again.But as Frenchmen, Louis Clodijon and Tony Reno certainly hoped to take a look and walk around the French territory located in the northern part of the island and accounting for nearly two-thirds of the island's total area. Marigot is the capital of the city of Filisburg.It is understood that the name Marigot has no characteristic of a Dutch name.It seemed natural, then, that Louis Clodijon and Tony Renault were eager to spend at least one day at Marigot. They have already tested Pattenson's opinion on this.Pattenson's team leader believes that their trip to Marigot will not affect the established tourist route in the slightest.

No one will be surprised if the honorable leader finds this reply reasonable. "Albertas has already been to the Dutch territory," he said. "Why can't Louis and Tony go to the French territory?" So, Mr. Horatio Pattenson found Harry Markle, told him this idea, and asked Harry Markle with his prestige: "Captain Paxson, what do you think?..." Harry Markle certainly likes not adding stops.However, this time he really had no reason to refuse to send the passengers to another part of the island.Had she sailed in the evening, the Spirit would have been in Marigot the next day, from which she sailed for St. Barthelemy in forty-eight hours. The matter was settled in this way. At 9 o'clock in the evening on August 5th, the Spirit sailed out of the stop under the guidance of the navigator at the Philipsburg pier.The night sky was clear and starry, and the moon was nearly full.The undulating sea is full of undulating islands, and the ship can travel along the island shore at a speed of less than a quarter of a nautical mile. The wind is gentle, and the rear crosswind can be used to sail. Fascinated by the beauty of the night flight, the passengers stayed on the deck until midnight before going back to the cabin to sleep.The Spirit was at anchor when she awoke. Marigot is a more commercial city than Filisburg.The city of Marigot stands on the shore of a lake with traffic between the bay and Simpson Pond.All of these constitute the basic conditions for a reliable dock to resist sea wind and waves.Marigo City implements a duty-free policy for foreign ships, which has attracted many ocean-going offshore ships.Marigot is the most important city on Sint Maarten. Passengers certainly don't have to feel sorry for travel.French expatriates give their two compatriots the warmest welcome.They entertain guests with great hospitality regardless of their nationality.At the welcome banquet held by the municipality, all the Antilleans will be seated around the same table. M. Anselme Guillon, one of the leading merchants in Marigot, will organize the banquet.There will be fifty or so in attendance at the banquet.The captain of the Smart was invited to the banquet, which was naturally in Mr. Jirong's consideration. Mr. Ji Rong personally boarded the boat and invited Harry Markle to a welcome banquet held at the Town Hall that day. However, no matter how daring Harry Markle is, he will never accept an invitation to the dinner.Mr Giron didn't get Harry Markle.Mr Pattenson invited along with Mr Giron, but Harry Markle still didn't accept the invitation.The two of them were defeated by the unwavering determination of the Captain of the Ingenuity to meet their earnest invitation.He didn't want to disembark on St. Thomas or St. Croix, and he didn't even want to disembark on St. Maarten.Moreover, none of his men were allowed to disembark and go ashore. "We regret that you are not at the party, Captain Paxson," declared Mr. Giron. "These children have said many good things about you. They wished you Thank you publicly. These reasons encouraged me to invite you, and I regret not being able to." Finally, Harry Markle nodded nonchalantly.Mr. Ji Rong disembarked and returned to the pier. It must be admitted that the captain of the Clever also did not leave a good impression on Mr. Christian Albert.This face was cold and vicious, full of traces left by murders and robberies, and many evil deeds, even if these did not arouse suspicion, at least they were disgusting.Why didn't they listen to the little passengers and Mr. Horatio Pattenson when they praised Captain Paxson? ... Wasn't he Mrs. Karen Seymour's choice? ...This lady will never make a decision lightly without accurate information and reliable references... In fact, the errands of Harry Markle and his gang were almost affected or even lost.This circumstance indeed only strengthened the confidence which M. Giron and the dignitaries of Marigot had in the captain and his crew. The day before the arrival of the Spirit, the brig Glowworm of British nationality was still moored at the Marigot Pier.The captain of the Firefly had a close relationship with Mr. Paxson, and Paxson, who was both a confidant and a seaman, praised his strengths.If he had known that the Ghost was coming, he would not only have waited, but would have been more than happy to shake hands with old friends.However, the Firefly was preparing to set sail at that time, and it was very likely that it would pass by the Spirit in the waters west of St. Maarten at night. During the conversation, Mr Giron mentioned the captain of the Firefly to Harry Markle.One can easily imagine the instant creeps upon the villain at the thought of the danger he would run into Captain Paxson's friend. The Glowworm was now en route to Bristol, and there was no chance of encountering Captain Paxson during its voyage across the Antilles. When Harry Markle told John Carpenter and Coty about the incident, they spoke bluntly about their feelings: "We're out of danger! . . . " repeated the bosun. "You don't tell anyone else," Harry Markle added. "It's no use scaring them, as long as they're more cautious than ever..." "I really want to kill these bloody Antilleans at once!" said Coty viciously. "I can see a rope hanging from every branch!" That guy Coty was right, if the Firefly had been anchored at Marigo Pier the day the Spirit arrived, Harry Markle and his crew would have been screwed. The banquet was held that evening, and it was well organized, as if everyone enjoyed it.During the period, everyone frequently toasted to Captain Paxson.Everyone talked about the successful completion of the first stage of tourism, and hoped that the second stage of tourism can also be successfully concluded like the first stage.These young Antilleans, after breathing a little of their native air, will leave unforgettable memories of their visits to the West Indies. At dessert, Louis Clodillon stood up and read out a warm letter of thanks to M. Anselme Guillon and the dignitaries of St. In the case of agreement, the thank-you letters were read out on behalf of the French, British, Danish, Dutch, and Swedish students who attended the banquet. Next came Mr. Horatio Pattenson's turn.Every time a dish was served, he raised his glass to toast, and he toasted much more dryly than usual.Now he stood up again, took the wine glass in his hand, and still spoke. Almost every quotation in Latin that could be inserted in a sentence of great weight came out of the mouth of the speaker.When he spoke of the fond memories of his banquet, he quoted Horace, who said that a banquet was stronger and more durable than bronze vessels; .He is willing to say some high-sounding polite words in public.He will not, however, forget his country, which is so far away from him, and the fond memories of it, but he may forget even more the pleasure of satisfying his pride in the Antilles.In the last moments of his speech he might repeat: I am in Arcadia now, because the Antilles may be a part of Arcadia where there is no evil but happiness.Finally, he expresses his desire to visit this beautiful archipelago, repeating, in the words of Horace, quoted above, that it is my wish, and in the words of Virgil—already mentioned—that there, The small can be compared to the big.Although he was the superintendent of the High School of the Antilles, he had just arrived in a place where Christopher Columbus had been some four hundred years ago. The crowd applauded Mr. Horatio Pattenson's achievements and greeted him as he sat down again.Then everyone filled their glasses one last time and raised their glasses to Mrs. Karen Seymour.Shaking hands with each other, the students enjoying the travel fund went to the pier again. It was almost ten o'clock in the evening when they got back to the ship, and although the sea was as calm as a lake, Mr. Pattenson still felt that the Spirit was slightly bumpy.Mr. Pattenson is convinced that the jolt will be less severe when lying down.So he went back to the cabin, took off his clothes with the help of the attentive Waja, and went to sleep. Roaming in and around the city all day the next day. Two cars pick up and drop off tourists.Anselme Guillon acted as their guide.The place they hope to visit is the former site where France and the Netherlands signed the agreement on the division of St. Maarten in 1648. It's not difficult to get there, you just have to climb a hill to the east of Marigot.This hill has an interesting name called Protocol Hill. After arriving at the destination, the tourists got off the car at the foot of the mountain and hiked up the hill without any difficulties.At the top of the mountain, several bottles of champagne brought from the trunk of the car were lifted and opened, and they were drunk completely to commemorate the 1648 French-Dutch agreement on the division of St. Maarten. It was evident that an atmosphere of solidarity was especially strong among these young Antilleans. Perhaps in the depths of his soul, Roger Hinsdal believed that St. Maarten and the other islands should have been, or would someday be, British colonies.But Albertus Löwen, Louis Clodijon and Tony Renaud were shaking hands cordially, wishing that the French and Dutch nations would live in harmony forever. After two French students toasted the health of King Guillaume III of the Netherlands, the Dutch students then toasted the health of the President of the French Republic.These two glasses of wine were applauded and admired by all their classmates. It should be noted that Mr Horatio Pattenson did not speak at this exchange of wishes and greetings.It's possible he was too talkative the day before, and he's used up his natural chatty wealth, or at least needs to be given a little time to recharge his batteries.Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with this point, not only in words, but also in his heart, he will definitely participate in this international event. After visiting the most extraordinary monuments in this part of Sint Maarten, the tourists return to the city of Marigot after having their own tourist lunch on the beach and their own tourist dinner under the trees of a rutabaga forest.After returning, I expressed my thanks to Mr. Anselm Giron, and then returned to the ship. Everyone - including Mr. Pattenson - has time to write to their loved ones.In fact, they had known since the twenty-sixth of July that the Spirit had reached St. Thomas.The date of arrival of the Spirit was reported by express letter, and the unease caused by the arrival of the Spirit a few days late has now dissipated.But to let the parents know about the progress of the tour, the letter written that night was sent out the next day and taken away by the European mail ship twenty-four hours later. The night was safe and sound, and the sleep of the tired students was not affected in any way.But Coty and John Carpenter were probably dreaming that a glitch would force the Firefly back to the pier... they were lucky it didn't happen. At eight o'clock the next day, the Spirit sailed away from Marigot Pier by the ebb tide, and headed for Butlemy Island. Even if there are some big waves on the sea, as long as the ship is protected by the island shore, it will not be bumped too much.After sailing past Phillisburg again, the Spirit will no longer have the cliffs of St. Maarten that shelter it from the waves.Therefore, in the case of transverse waves at the entrance between the two islands, the number of sails must be reduced.Keep the hull from tilting too much. If there was any delay in the journey, it would be only a few hours, and the Spirit would be sure to be near St. Barthelemy's next day at dawn. As usual, when the sheets needed to be loosened or taut, the passengers were there to help.There is no need to sail in the same direction and turn into the wind at all.Tony Leno and Magnu Anders took turns at the helm.These were two real helmsmen, very interested in sailing, keeping their eyes on the course alignment line on the compass, and keeping the ship from going left and right. Near five o'clock in the evening, a steamer stern from the southwest signaled to pass the Spirit quickly. Then Coty took over the wheel.Harry Markle's intentions were clear, to keep the steamboat away.So the Spirit sailed away from the course to avoid the other party crossing its course. According to the flag fluttering in the wind on the main mast, the steamer was a French warship belonging to the small-tonnage cruiser of the Navy.Louis Clodijon and Tony Renaud were happy to salute the battleship as it passed by, and happy that the battleship saluted them.However, thanks to Harry Markle's maneuvering, the closest distance between the two ships was just over a nautical mile, so no flag sail was required. As for the cruiser, she was galloping northwestward at full speed, as if heading for some island in the Antilles.It may go to a port in the southern United States, such as Key West, the southernmost tip of Florida, which is a mooring point for ships from various countries. The French cruiser quickly left the Clever behind.Before sunset the last wisps of smoke from its chimneys were lost at sea level. "Bon voyage," said John Carpenter, "and I hope never to see you again! . . . I don't like sailing with warships..." "I don't even want to be with a team of cops..." Coty went on. "Those guys pretend to ask you where you're from and where you're going, and to be honest, sometimes it's not appropriate!" St. Barthelemy - the only island owned by Sweden in the West Indian Ocean archipelago - lies at the end of a sandbar formed by British Anguilla and St. Maarten, which belongs to France and Netherlands.As one can see, as soon as the ground rises about eighty feet, the three islands become one Dokdo, whose total length reaches seventy-five kilometers.However, since the seabed is a plutonic structure, it is not surprising that the ground will rise in the future. Roger Hinsdal pointed out on this point that the ground rise could spread throughout the Antilles, both on the Windward and Leeward Islands.As we all know, perhaps in a very early period, these islands merged with each other to form a vast land like land at the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico. Is there any connection with the territory of America? . . . What will be the state of the land when Great Britain, France, Holland, and Denmark claim to plant their respective flags? ... It is quite possible that the principles of the Monroe Doctrine will work to bring the great powers into agreement in thoroughly resolving this issue in America's favor.The whole of America belongs to the Americans, and it can only be the Americas of the Americans!They wanted to add another star to the flag of the United States of America, which at the time already had fifty stars! As for St. Barthelemy Island, its territory is very small, its length is no more than ten kilometers, and its area is only twenty-one square kilometers. It can only be called a reef island. Saint Barthelemy is protected by Gustave Castle.Gustavevia, its capital, is a small city, which, from the point of view of coastal navigation, is situated between the Lesser Antilles in this area of ​​the sea, and can benefit from this geographical advantage.Nineteen years ago, Magnu Anders was born there, and his family moved to Gothenburg, Sweden, for fifteen years. St. Barthelemy Island has been under the jurisdiction of different countries.From 1648 to 1784 it was the French possession of Saint Barthelemy.France later ceded St. Barthelemy to Sweden.In Kattegat, Sweden, in Gothenburg to be precise, a warehouse operation and other political benefits were exchanged.Although St. Barthelemy became a Scandinavian possession after the treaty, as the former inhabitants were Normans, the island still retains, and probably always will remain so, Norman aspirations, inclinations, and customs. As the sun dipped below the horizon, there was no sign of St. Barthelemy's.There are still more than 20 nautical miles of water.The Spirit had no problem mooring at dawn, although the evening was calm and there was not much travel at night. However, since four o'clock in the morning, the Swedish lad has been out of the cabin, climbed the ladder rope of the mainmast shroud, and climbed up to the main topsail's beam. Magnu Anders wanted to be the first to point out the location of his birth island.Before six o'clock in the morning, he finally saw the outline of a limestone plateau.The plateau is located in the center of St. Barthelemy, 320 meters above St. Barthelemy.So he shouted: "Land!...Land!..." His classmates rushed to the deck hearing the shout. The Spirit immediately sailed towards the west coast of St. Barthelemy Island, preparing to dock at the dock.The Boatyard Pier is the main, or rather, the only, on St. Barthelemy. Although the wind had weakened, although the Spirit had to sail against the wind, its speed was quite fast. Just after seven o'clock, a group of several people clearly appeared on the top of the hill, where the emigrants hoisted the Swedish flag. "It's a ritual every morning," said Tony Reno. "The Swedish flag will be hoisted with a salute..." "It amazes me," said Magnu Anders, "that the flag hasn't been hoisted yet! . . . It usually goes up at sunrise, and by this time it had been flying over the horizon for three hours!" The observation is correct.Anyway, one wonders if this has anything to do with the prescribed ritual mentioned. The port of Gustavia provides the best berthing place for ships with a draft of 2 to 3 meters. Because of the shelter of the sandbar, the big waves coming from the sea will hit the sandbar into small waves before hitting the ship. The presence of the cruiser that the little passengers had seen the day before first caught their attention.The cruiser was moored right in the middle of Gustavia Harbor, with all engines stopped and sails furled, like a ship that was about to be moored for a while.This delighted Louis Clodijon and Tony Renaud, who had mutually agreed to come aboard the cruiser, sure to be popular.But the sight of the cruiser couldn't help but make Harry Markle feel as bad, perhaps horrified, as his pals. The Ingenuity is only a quarter of a nautical mile from the port, and St. Basilmy's Island is the camping place on the itinerary, or one of the ports of call. Even if Harry Markle doesn't want to enter the port, he can imagine what not to enter Hong Kong's reason? ... So, willingly or not--in any case, without John Carpenter and the others being afraid--he turned the ship and was about to go down the channel when a cannon shot rang out. At the same time, a flag was slowly rising on the top of the hill. When Magnu Anders and his classmates saw that it was not the Swedish flag rising from the hill, but the French tricolor flag, they were very surprised!Accident became consternation in Magnu Anders. As for Harry Markle and his crew, if they were a bit surprised, then their main concern might be which country did the flag belong to? ... They only know one flag, the black flag of the pirates, which is the flag that the Spirit will fly when they rob in the Pacific Ocean. "French flag! . . . " Tony Renault yelled. "French flag! . . . " repeated Louis Clodiillon. "Has Captain Paxson made a mistake and taken the wrong course for Guadeloupe, or for Martinique?" said Roger Hinsdal. Harry Markle has never made a mistake like this.The Spirit had just arrived at St. Barthelemy's Island, and three quarters of an hour later it dropped anchor in the port of Gustavia. Magnu Anders was still wondering.Until now, on St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. Maarten, Danish and French students have always seen the national flags of their respective countries flying. The flag no longer flies over its territory... All the truth came out.Saint Barthelemy has just been ceded to France for 267,500 francs. The sale was made with the consent of expatriates, almost all of Normandy origin.Of the 351 voters, 350 voted in favor of the merger. Poor Magnu Anders can't ask for it back.There can be no doubt that Sweden must have had good reasons for giving up her only colony in the West Indies.So Magnu Anders went along with the flow, turned sideways and said into the ear of his classmate Louis Clodiron: "In general, since the flag must be changed, it would be best if it were the flag of France!"