Chapter 16 Chapter 1 Antigua

France seized St. Barthelemy for her own benefit, depriving Sweden of its only colony in the Antilles.For Antigua, such plundering was detrimental to English interests, but not worrisome.If Magnu Anders could no longer find the small Scandinavian-named island where he was born, then Huber Perkins must find his own in the colonies of the Kingdom of Great Britain. home. Britain would not give up her dominions willingly: she was ambitious and acquisitive, not so much for a certain profit as for her nature.It wished to take all the colonies, whether islands or land, for itself.Moreover, it is the British Empire that has already occupied most of the West Indies. Will the British flag fly on an island in the future?

However, Antigua did not always belong to the ambitious Albisso.Originally inhabited by the Carib Indians, it was not until the beginning of the seventeenth century that Antigua fell into the hands of the French. However, after occupying the island for several months, the French returned to St. Christopher's Island.The French decided to abandon it for exactly the same reasons the natives abandoned the island in the first place.Because there are almost no rivers on Antigua.If people can touch the river here, it is also caused by the instantaneous rain.However, for the needs of the colony, this rainwater was collected.Therefore, it is necessary to build a huge reservoir.

When the British settled in Antigua in 1632, this was all they knew and wanted to do—to build reservoirs, which were built under the most favorable conditions, so that the fields could get large areas. irrigation.Since the land here is suitable for growing tobacco, planters concentrate on it.Since then, the tobacco growing industry has ensured that the island thrives and prospers. In 1668, the war between Britain and France broke out, and the expeditionary force organized in Martinique sailed to Antigua.The invaders destroyed the plantations and brought in slaves.In just one year, Antigua had become a deserted place as if it had never been inhabited.

Colonel Cottington, a wealthy landowner in Barbados, did not want the works built on Antigua to be thrown away for nothing.So he led some people here, and at the same time attracted some immigrants, and planted sugar cane while growing tobacco.It was he who restored Antigua to its former prosperity. Colonel Cottington was thus appointed Colonel-General of all the Leeward Islands under British administration.This was an energetic government official who kept the island's agricultural production alive, British colonial trade buoyant, and economic and trade development not slowing down even after him.

Because of this, when the Spirit arrived, Huber Perkins was sure to see a thriving Antigua just as he had left it.He traveled across the ocean to study in Europe five years ago. The distance between St. Barthelemy and Antigua is only seventy to eighty nautical miles.However, after the Spirit set sail, the sea remained calm, with occasional breezes, which made it difficult for the Spirit to advance quickly with the help of the wind, thus prolonging the voyage time.The Spirit passes St. Christopher's Island.The island was fiercely contested by the British, French and Spaniards. In 1713, Britain, France, and Spain signed the "Utrecht Peace Treaty", which made the island permanently under the jurisdiction of the British. It is only named Christopher because Columbus discovered Hope Island, Dominica Island, Discovered later by Guadeloupe and Antigua, it can be said that it is the mark left by the great Genoese navigator on the beautiful seas of the West Indies.

The guitar-shaped island of St Christopher's is known locally as "The Land of Fertility", while the French and British call it "Mother of the Antilles".Young travelers can enjoy its beautiful natural scenery along the coast about a quarter of a nautical mile. Its capital, St. Kitts, was built in a harbor on the west coast at the foot of Monkey Mountain, among gardens and palm trees.This is a volcano whose original name was Missley, but since the emancipation movement, it has been renamed Liberty.The magma it erupted raised the volcanic body to 1,500 meters, and some sulfurous gases emitted from the sides of the mountain, and rainwater accumulated at the bottom of the two extinct craters, thus ensuring the fertility of the land on the island.It covers an area of ​​176 square kilometers and has a population of about 30,000.The main sugar cane grown here is of superior quality.Of course, it is fascinating to stay at St. Christopher Island for a day and night, and you can visit the pastures and various crops here.But apart from Harry Markle who didn't insist on staying here at all, and proceeded according to the established route, in fact, none of the boarding students in Antilles Middle School had their ancestral home from this island.

On the morning of April 12, the Spirit received a signal from the Antija Island signal station.Christopher Columbus named it in honor of a church in Valladolid, which has been discovered from a great distance, and which is already visible at sea level, and whose highest point does not exceed two hundred and seventy rice.As for the area of ​​Antigua, compared with other Antilles Islands, it is still very impressive, about 269,000 square kilometers. At the entrance of the port, Huber Perkins saw the British flag, and could not help shouting "Hurrah!", and his companions echoed it. The Spirit approached Antigua from the north, which led to the port and city.

Harry Markle knows the coastal waters well.Therefore he does not need the assistance of the pilot.The situation around the harbor was still very complicated, but he boldly and decisively steered the ship in, allowing the strong and strong James to stand on the port side of the ship, and Rob Lolly, who was single and frail, stood on the starboard side of the ship. Anchor in a place where the water depth does not exceed four or five meters. Deep in the harbor is the capital, St. John's, with a population of 16,000.The city is shaped like a chessboard, with criss-cross streets.The appearance of the city is pleasing to the eye.In the beautiful tropical area, all kinds of green plants are lush and full of vitality, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.

As soon as the Spirit sailed into the harbor, a small boat sailed out from the harbor pier.The four-oared skiff was speeding toward the three-masted cabin. Needless to say, Harry Markle and his mates are feeling renewed apprehension and worry at this point.In short, there are good reasons for such worries and concerns.They may have feared that the British police already knew of the bloody tragedy that had taken place on the Ingenuity in Falmar Bay, and that some other body would be found, perhaps that of Captain Paxson.The question, then, is: who was in his place on the Spirit? ... Soon all the hanging hearts were relieved. It turned out that the family of the young traveler Huber Perkins was carried on this small boat, his father, mother and two younger sisters.They had been waiting for hours, waiting for the arrival of the Spirit.They boarded without waiting for the Spirit to drop anchor, and Huber Perkins threw himself into the arms of his parents.

From an administrative point of view, Antigua is the seat of the jurisdictional government, which includes the neighboring islands of Barbuda and Redonda.It is also the capital of the British Antilles, linking the Leeward and Windward Islands from the Virgins to Dominica. The Governor, the Executive Yuan and the President of the Legislative Yuan all live on the island of Antigua.Half of these people are appointed by the royal family and half are elected by taxpayers.It is worth noting that there are fewer free electors than civil servants.You will see that this electoral structure is not unique to the French colonies.

Mr. Perkins, a member of the Executive Council and a descendant of those immigrants who had come with Colonel Cottington, never left Antigua and returned after sending his son to Europe. Homes in Antigua. After kissing his father, mother and sister, Huber Perkins introduced each of them as a matter of course.Mr. Horatio Pattenson first shook hands with Mr. Perkins, and the young lads enjoyed the same courtesy with pleasure.The lads on the Spirit are in very good health, and for that Mrs. Perkins sent their teacher her kindest tribute.Of course, much of the gracious tribute to the teacher should belong to Captain "Paxson". In addition, Harry Markle also accepted these greetings and greetings with his usual indifference. After greeting everyone, he walked to the bow and threw the anchors on both sides of the boat into the water. Perkins first asked Mr. Pattenson how long they would be in Antigua. "Four days, Mr. Perkins." Mr. Pattenson said: "The time we stay is limited. It's just like people's lifespan. We must obey the plan and not deviate from our established policy. " "Too short," Mrs. Perkins reminded everyone. "No doubt, my dear," said Mr. Perkins. "The time for the trip is limited, and there are many places in the Antilles to be visited along the way." "Art is long, life is short," Mr Pattenson added.He thought it appropriate to quote this Latin proverb at this time. "At any rate," said Mr. Perkins, "Mr. Pattenson and my son's schoolmates will be our guests during our stay here..." "Mr. Perkins," said Roger Hinsdal, "there were ten of us on board..." "Of course," continued Mr. Perkins, "my house, my friends, is a little small for all of you. But we can take a few rooms at the hotel, and dine at my house." "In this case, with the exception of Huber, it might be better for us to remain on board the Ingenuity. What do you say, Monsieur Perkins..." suggested Louis Clodiron: "We belong to you all day long, From the rising of the sun until the setting of the sun." It was a good compromise, and one that Mr. Pattenson approved of.However, Harry Markle obviously still prefers travelers to live on the shore, worrying that it will be difficult to accommodate many visitors on board, and is always wary of the arrival of visitors. In addition, the captain was likewise invited to dine at Mr. Perkins's.But he declined as politely as ever, and Huber told his father there was no need to insist. The boat took Huber away, so his classmates arranged their things in good order.Each then wrote a few letters to be picked up by the postman back to Europe that evening.Among these letters was an impassioned letter from Horatio Pattenson to his wife, which was due in more than twenty days.Another letter was addressed to the principal of the Antilles High School.The address on the envelope is: 213 Oxford Street, London, United Kingdom.From the letter, Mr. Julian Arder can learn the exact information about the recipients of the Mrs. Karen Seymour Scholarship. During this period, Harry Markle completed all his operational work, carefully mooring the Spirit in the middle of the port as he did every time he docked.The person who transported the passengers was never allowed to go ashore, and he himself went up to the coast office to complete the relevant procedures only on the day of the ship's arrival and departure. About eleven o'clock at noon the boat drew up to shore, and two oarsmen, under Corty's command, brought Mr. and Mrs. Perkins' guests ashore. A quarter of an hour later, everyone gathers around a table filled with sumptuous dishes in a comfortable house high above the city.Talking about all kinds of anecdotes during the journey. Mr. Perkins was forty-five years old, and his beard and hair were beginning to grey.His good manners, warm attitude, and sincere eyes are all good qualities that will be reproduced in his son in the future.No one in the colonies was more honored than he, not so much because of his obligations to the government as a member of the Executive Council, but also because he was a man of good taste.He knew everything about the history of the West Indies, and he could even furnish Mr. Horatio Pattenson with some detailed and accurate records and authentic sources on the subject.We are sure that Mr. Horatio Pattenson would not have given up seeking such information from Mr. Perkins to enrich his travel journal.He kept this diary as carefully as he kept his ledgers. Mrs. Perkins, of Creole ancestry (white descent from Antilles and other places), is in her forties.This is an amiable, benevolent and kind woman.She devoted all her energy to the education of her two daughters.Two daughters, one named Bertha, ten years old; the other Marie, twelve years old.We can imagine how excited this kind and kind mother was when she held her son who had been separated for four full years in her arms!During the meal it was said that Huber's return to Antigua was not far off.His family never wanted to leave the island, and in another year, he would finish his studies at Antilles High School. "We shall be sorry for him," cried John Howard. "He has two more years to go at the Oxford Street School, and Huber was a good fellow..." "We will always remember him." Guang Luo Dirong said again. "Who will ever know if you will ever see each other again?" Mr. Perkins reminded them all. "Young friends, perhaps some of you will return to the Antilles. When Huber went to work in a firm , we want to marry him..." "As early as possible," continued Mrs. Perkins. "Huber is getting a wife!" Tony Raynor yelled. "Oh, how I should like to see all this!" "Hey! Why can't you be my witness?" Huber laughed. "We're not kidding, young man," Mr. Pattenson said decisively. "Marriage is the most important social foundation of the world." Everyone stopped discussing this topic.Therefore, Mrs. Perkins naturally led the topic to Mrs. Pattenson, and she asked about the current situation of this lady.The team leader answered each of them appropriately.He was anxious to hear from his wife, perhaps to have one in Barbados before he set off for his return journey.At this time, he took out a photo that never left his body from his pocket, and showed it to Mrs. Perkins proudly. "What a kind and charming woman in the picture!" said Mrs. Perkins. "Honorable wife of Mr. Horatio Pattenson," added Mr. Perkins. "She's my life partner," Pattenson replied, slightly agitated. "I beg God that when I can go back and see her again, she'll be the same!  …" Mr. Pattenson said those last words, which only he could hear. What could he say? ... When he said these words, his voice was very low, which did not attract everyone's attention. Lunch is over.After dinner, visit St. John's first, and then go for a walk around.However, everyone is willing to take a nap for an hour in the afternoon in the beautiful garden of the villa under the shade of tall trees.Mr. Perkins told Mr. Pattenson some more about the abolition of slavery in Antigua.It was in 1824 that the British government announced the abolition of slavery.Contrary to what happened in other colonies, blacks did not learn this new way of being because there were no transitional measures. The abolitionist statutes required certain duties and promises to moderate the resulting backlash; but the slave who was set free almost at once derived both the benefits of complete freedom and the To the inconvenience of complete liberation. This sudden change, indeed, greatly facilitated the position of the master and the slave who had formed a real family.Likewise, although abolition immediately freed 34,000 slaves, compared with only 2,000 whites in the colony, there was no regrettable excess and no scene of deplorable violence.It was well understood that the freed slaves only asked to remain on the plantations as servants or hirelings at home, and it is fitting that the colonists showed great apprehension and concern for the well-being of their former slaves.They promised these slaves that their survival would be guaranteed as long as they performed regular paid work.They built for these people more comfortable and more comfortable dwellings than their original grass huts.These blacks are now well-dressed and can eat fresh meat, instead of just simple food and salted fish in the past, their diet structure has been greatly improved. If this outcome made the blacks happy, it was equally happy for the colonists.The colony is full of vigor and prosperity. The government's fiscal revenue is increasing day by day, while the administrative expenditure of various government departments is decreasing day by day. When Mr. Pattenson and his young partner were sightseeing on the island, they saw that the land on the island was cultivated in an orderly manner.This makes them not only sigh with emotion.How beautiful and rich this limestone land is!Wherever they went, every farm was well-maintained, which allowed them to see the great development of agricultural production. Let's not forget that Antigua's natural water sources are scarce.As a result, some huge cisterns were built to collect rainwater, and Mr Perkins justified the issue by saying that the locals once called Antigua Yacama "a trickle of water", which is sheer irony mean.These cisterns on the island now serve a variety of urban and rural needs. This ingenious water supply facility meets the water needs of the people on the island, and at the same time ensures the sanitation of Antigua and ensures the ability of the island to resist drought in the future. There were two water shortages in 1779 and 1784. The severe water shortage caused immeasurable losses. The people on the island were like people on a shipwreck. die by water. While Mr. Perkins was telling this, he pointed out the cisterns to his guests.These reservoirs have a capacity of 2.5 million cubic meters, and they supply the city of St. John with an average volume of water that is higher than the average volume of a large European city. Under the leadership of Mr. Perkins, the excursions arranged by him are not limited to around the capital. In addition, the excursions are also organized in such a way that the students can return to the ship "Smart" every night on time. Tourists also visited another port in Antigua, English High Wave, which is located on the south side of the island and is more sheltered from the wind than St. John's Port.In the past, there were some military buildings, including barracks and arsenals, which were used to defend Antigua. It is actually composed of a group of craters. Due to seawater erosion, the height of the craters gradually decreased. The four days stipulated berthing time for wandering, eating and resting, and the early morning passed quickly. When everyone set foot on the way home, although the weather was extremely hot at this time, the young boys did not feel unbearable at all.Huber Perkins remained at his parents' house, and his companions returned to the ship, and went into the cabin, and lay in their bunks to recover from fatigue.Tony Leno, however, thinks there must be "something" about Huber Perkins not returning like them.Like, is he going to marry a Creole girl from Barbados, and their engagement ceremony will probably take place before leaving for Europe...   Everyone laughed at his nonsense, and serious Mr. Pattenson did not let them take Tony's nonsense seriously. The night before departure, on August 15th, Harry Markle was alarmed by such an incident down below. That afternoon a small boat, a brig from Liverpool called the Flag, was moored beside their side, and one of the sailors went on deck, Ask to speak to the captain. It was difficult to answer that his captain was not on board at the time, but Harry Markle had only been ashore once since dropping anchor. Harry Markle stayed in the cabin, watching the man through the window.He listened to the conversation to avoid revealing himself.Besides, he didn't know the man, and the man probably didn't know him.Perhaps the sailor had sailed with Captain Paxson, who commanded the Spirit, and he wanted to visit him now. Herein lies the danger, and every landing brings danger, which will cease to exist only when the "Smart" leaves Barbados and never returns to any island in the Antilles. Coty received the sailor as soon as he stepped on deck. "You want to talk to Captain Paxson?..." Corty asked. "Yes, man," said the sailor again. "Is he commanding the Spirit? Are you from Liverpool?" "You know him?" "No, I don't know, I have a friend who should be his crew." "Really, what's his name?" "Foster . . . John Foster." After listening to this conversation, Harry Markle came out of the cabin, and Coty was also relieved. "I'm Captain Paxson," said Harry Markle. "Captain! . . . " The sailor saluted, raising his hand to his beret. "What do you want?" "Want to meet a friend." "what is his name?" "John Foster." For a split second Harry Markle wanted to tell him that John Foster had drowned in Cockle Bay, but he remembered telling the unfortunate that Bob's name had been told, and that Bob's body had drifted to shore, before setting off. The loss of two sailors may have caused doubts among the students aboard the Ingenuity. So, Harry Markle prevaricated: "John Foster is not on board..." "He's not on board?" repeated the sailor in great surprise. "I thought I'd find him here, but..." "He's not on board, I tell you, or he won't be on board again." "Did he encounter some misfortune?" "He fell ill on departure and had to disembark and disembark." The sailor said nothing more. "Thank you, Captain, since no one is here!" He went down to the boat again, much to his sorrow at not seeing his old friend. Coty was amazed at the tact of his boss.But if the sailor on the Flag had known Captain Paxson, things could have gone badly for Harry Markle and his crew. After the sailors moved away, Coty shouted: "Obviously, the game we're playing is too risky!" "Maybe, but it's worth it!" "It doesn't matter... let's do our best!" "Harry, I really want to get back to the Atlantic as soon as possible ... and there won't have to worry about any secret being revealed." "Your wish is about to come true, Coty...Tomorrow, the Spirit will set sail again..." "where to?……" "Guadeloupe. In short, the French colonies are less dangerous to us than the British colonies."