Chapter 20 Chapter 5 Saint Lucia

The sailing across Martinique and St. Lucia was smooth and fast.A cool northeast wind blows on the sea.The Spirit didn't lower the front downsail, and traveled eighty nautical miles in one day, which is also the distance from St. Pierre Port to Castries Port, which is part of the British island of St. Lucia. main port. In order to reach the island of St. Lucia before dark, Harry Markle plans to stop the boat and prepare to enter the channel when the sun rises. In the first hours of the morning, the highest mountain in Martinique is still clearly visible.Bald Peak – the mountain to which Tony Raynor greeted upon arrival – also received a final farewell from Tony Raynor.

Long Sterry Harbor reveals its beautiful, majestic appearance amidst majestic cliffs.It is just like a wide acrobatic field, where the sea water is constantly overflowing, and all kinds of ships, even large-tonnage ships, can find a solid and reliable anchorage here.The urban construction is in the shape of steps, and the houses are scattered neatly, neatly arranged on the hillside until the surrounding hills.Like most cities in the Antilles, all buildings face the sunset to protect against the high winds and strong atmospheric currents blowing from the sea. Not surprisingly, Roger Hinsdale regarded his native island as superior to all other archipelagos. Neither Martinique nor Guadeloupe could be compared with Saint Soundia in his opinion. comparable to.

This young Englishman was full of British arrogance, behaved arrogantly, and defended his nation everywhere, which made the students laugh.On board, however, he did not refuse the help of John Howard and Huber Perkins, who were less "British" than himself; While running, his blood was indeed filled with the unique bravery and fortitude of the British. Even so, it was perhaps a natural feeling in him that he wanted to be like Louis Clodiron and Tony Reno, whose parents had been famous among the notables of the island. and status. In addition, the Hinsdal family also owns important industries here, plantations and sugar factories, and a thriving farmers' business.These estates are now in the hands of their attorney, Mr. Edward Falk.Edward Foyonck already knew that the young heir of the Hinsdal family was coming, and he had already made preparations for it, arranging Roger Hinsdal's daily life and sightseeing during his stay here.

It has already been said that Harry Markle does not want to enter the port at night.When he could feel the low tide starting and the sea was calm, he steered the boat into the cove so as not to be swept away by the tide. In the morning, Harry Markle realized he would have to wait a few more hours before he was ready to weigh anchor and head into port.In the middle of the night yesterday, the wind had died down.When the sun rises above the sea to a certain height, the wind may again blow from the west. From dawn on Roger Hinsdale in the lead and Mr Pattenson in the rear, all came aft to breathe the fresh morning air outside the cabins and to wait until the night had receded and the waters would be full of sunshine. If they are not familiar with the history of St. Lucia, it is entirely because they did not listen to Roger Hinsdal's story about it as carefully and carefully as the leader Mr. Pattenson.

It should be admitted that the history of Saint Lucia is not much different from other islands in the western Indian Ocean. After the Caribs settled in St. Lucie, they began to engage in agricultural production.Christopher Columbus discovered the island on an indefinite date, just as the first colonists landed on the island on an indefinite date. Before 1633, the Spaniards built nothing on the island, that's for sure.The British only exercised sovereignty over the island for eighteen months in the middle of the seventeenth century. When the Caribs brought them from Dominica, as we mentioned earlier, riots broke out in the neighboring islands. In 1640, fanatical natives flocked to the fledgling colony.Most of the colonists were massacred, and only those who escaped were boarded and escaped.

Ten years later, forty Frenchmen were stationed on the island of St. Lucia under the leadership of one of Ruslan's men, a determined man who also married an Indian woman.He used his cleverness and wit to connect the local people with himself and ensured the peace and stability of the island until his death.For four full years, no homicide riots occurred. The colonists after him seemed less wise.Because of their oppression and injustice, the Caribs were aroused to revenge.The Caribs retaliated by killing and pillaging.So the British seized the opportunity and intervened.Pirates and adventurers took the opportunity to flock to Saint Lucia.The island of Saint Lucia hopes to find stability again through the Utrecht Peace Treaty.According to this treaty, the island was declared a neutral territory.

"Did St. Lucia belong to the British from then on?" asked Nils Alber. "Yes and no," replied Roger Hinsdale. "I say no." Louis Clodijon protested expressly, saying that he had read all the books on the islands where the Spirit called in the Antilles.Of course, books from St. Lucia are also included. "No, this is because the concession of Saint Lucia went to Marshal Etret after the Peace of Utrecht. He sent troops to the island in 1718 to defend the French colony. "Perhaps!" retorted Roger Hinsdal, "but in the British statement, the privilege was revoked for the benefit of the Duke of Montaigne..."

"Yes, I agree with that," said Louis Clodillon sharply, "but, in the new French declaration, it has also been canceled..." "Since the British colonists are still on the island, what does it matter?" "It is true that they are still here, but in the 'Paris Peace Treaty' signed in 1763, all sovereignty of this colony was assigned to France!" Despite Roger Hinsdale's staunch and resolute defense, facts are facts, and he was forced to admit that, in the years since, with the construction of facilities by the colonists of neighboring Grenada, Saint Vincent and Martinique The gradual growth of St. Lucia is becoming more and more prosperous.The island has nearly 13,000 inhabitants, including slaves, and in 1772, the population was close to 15,000.

"However, the struggle between Saint Kesia Island and the foreign powers over its sovereignty is not over." "In 1779 the land was recaptured by General Abercrombie and placed under the administration of the British Empire..." "I know that," said Louis Clodiron, still insisting. "But the treaty of 1789 gave it back to France again..." "It became British again in 1794," said Roger Hinsdal sharply. "Come on, keep talking!" Tony Renault shouted, "Louis, please tell us, did St. Lucia see the French flag flying again?  …"

"Of course, Tony, since it was reaffirmed as a French colony in 1802..." "But not for long!" said Roger Hinsdal affirmatively. "After the suspension of the Amiens Peace Treaty, it returned to Britain in 1803, and this time, it was permanent. Please believe me... ..." "Ah! Permanent! . . . " exclaimed Tony Raynor, twirling on tiptoe in complete contempt. "It's permanent, Tony!" Roger Hinsdal replied.He was clearly enraged, and tried to use as much sarcasm as possible in his words. "Have you any grand ambition to take it back on your own? . . . "

"Why not?..." Tony Raynor retorted, making a haughty gesture. To be sure, Niels Alber, Axel Wickburn and Magnu Anders had no interest in this debate between the English and the French.Neither Denmark nor the Netherlands have ever claimed a share of this disputed colony.Perhaps Magnu Anders will be able to claim one for Sweden to bring them into line.Because Sweden no longer even has an island in the archipelago. The controversy tended to grow, and Mr. Horatio Pattenson just in time inserted a line from Virgil: quos geo. Then he said gently: "Please calm down, young friends, are you going to war? ... War, this is a disaster for mankind! ... War Bella matrix detestata means ..." "In perfect French," exclaimed Tony Reynolds, "it's L'Abominable Stepmother!" This ingenious answer made everyone laugh out loud, and Mr. Pattenson, the team leader, even bent over laughing. In short, everything is over, and everyone shakes hands and makes peace.Roger Hinsdale was somewhat embarrassed, while Louis Clodijon was generous.Then, both sides made their point clear.Tony Raynor made no attempt to retake the island of St. Lucia from British administration.It is only that Louis-Claudilon is entitled to add that the men on board the Ingenuity will soon confirm de visu et de auditu that although St. Lucia now flies the flags of the British Empire, they are still indelible. Lost traces of French customs, traditions, and instincts.Once you set foot on St. Lucia, Louis Clodiron and Tony Reno have every reason to believe that they are still walking on the land of Hope Island, Guadeloupe or Martinique. Same. Just after nine o'clock, the wind picked up at sea, which was exactly what Harry Markle wanted.The wind is from the sea, and although it blows from the west, it is also closely related to the island of St. Lucia, which stands alone in the Sea of ​​the Antilles, with no shelter either to the east or to the west. And in the Atlantic Ocean, both sides are attacked by strong winds and waves. The Spirit immediately began to prepare for anchoring. As soon as the anchor was hoisted, the three-masted ship spread its two-tier sail, fore-sail and mizzen-sail, and left the anchorage by the wind, and circled to one of them to surround Custer. At the headland of the harbor. This port, called the Dockyard, is one of the best in the Antilles.This explains why France and Great Britain are arguing over its sovereignty.Since then, the basic construction of the terminal has been completed, and the built dock and trestle terminal can meet all the needs of the shipping business.It is certain that the future of the "dock" port is extremely bright.There, British freighters kept coming and going, constantly transporting coal imported from Britain to those large warehouses. As for the island of St. Lucia, although its area is not the largest in the entire Windward Islands, it has at least 614 square kilometers and a population of 45,000, of which 5,000 live in the capital of Castries . No doubt Roger Hinsdale would have been delighted if he had anchored here longer than in other Antilles he had visited.He would like to let the students travel to every corner of St. Lucia.However, there are only three days in the travel plan, and the plan must be followed. Besides, when the Hinsdals finally settled in London, he could not find a single member of the family here.However, his family owns a considerable property here.He had come here as a young landowner to inspect his estates. At nearly ten o'clock, the Spirit dropped anchor at the "dock", and Roger Hinsdal and his classmates, accompanied by Mr. Pattenson, went ashore together. They feel that the city is clean and tidy, with wide squares and spacious streets. Although the weather is scorching hot, there are yearning green shades.However, they have talked about this climate with great emotion.Although the island of Saint Lucia is under British jurisdiction, it is more French. Tony Leno felt this too, though Roger Hinsdale accepted it with a touch of scorn: "Forget it... we are on French soil..." At the trestle pier, the students were greeted by the agent Mr. Edward Falk.This gentleman will be their guide during their sightseeing.Mr. Edward Falk certainly did not neglect to let the students admire the magnificent plantation of the Hinsdal family.Especially those sugarcane fields that have long been famous in St. Lucia.Here is where the best cane sugar in the Antilles is harvested.Its quality is fully comparable to that of cane sugar from St Christopher's Island. In the colony of St. Lucia, the number of whites is quite limited, only a thousand or so.People of color and blacks make up an absolute majority.Their numbers have skyrocketed since work on the Panama Canal began.When work on the Panama Canal stopped, they had nothing to do. The old Hinsdale house, now inhabited by Mr. Edward Falk, is spacious and comfortable, at the end of the city.It could have accommodated the students on the Spirit.Besides, Roger Hinsdal insisted on being a landlord, and suggested that all should stay in his house during their sojourn.Everyone will have their own room, and Mr. Pattenson will have the best of them all.Of course, everyone eats every meal in the large dining room, and the family vehicle is always at everyone's disposal. Hinsdal's suggestion was readily accepted. He is arrogant by nature. Although he always likes to show off in front of his classmates, this young British guy is still very generous and enthusiastic. Besides, if he was jealous, it was mainly directed at Louis Clodiron.At Antilles Secondary School, they have been rivals for first place.You won't forget that they both came out on top in the travel fund race, as they say "neck and neck" in the race ex aequ - Tony Leno once said - "the same horse" in the pun equus sequus Horse", which aroused the great concern of the leader. From day one, their tour starts with a walk through the entire plantation.The island's forests are magnificent and one of the most healthy in the Antilles.Dense forests cover at least four-fifths of the island.We climbed the 234-meter-high Mount Fortunes, which houses the barracks, the Mount Asabao and the Mount Chazzo, which, as you know, are French names, and where the sanatorium is located. .Then go to the middle and visit the St. Aruz Peak.These sleeping volcanoes may wake up one day, because the water in the surrounding ponds is steaming and boiling. That evening, on his return to the lodgings, Roger Hinsdal said to Mr. Pattenson: "In St. Lucia, as in Martinique, you have to beware of cave snakes... We also have snakes on our island... and it's dangerous..." "I'm not afraid of snakes anymore," Mr. Pattenson said aloud, with a beautiful, dashing gesture. "While we're at anchor, I'm going to have my snake stuffed! . . . " "You're right!" Tony Leno couldn't help laughing. The next day Mr. Falk had the dreadful snake delivered to a taxidermy in Castries.Tony Raynor pulled him aside and explained to him about the snake.Snakes have been taxidermied for several years... But no one wants to tell Mr. Pattenson about it... Just ask the taxidermist to return the snake to the Spirit the day before departure. To be precise, Mr. Pattenson wrote a second letter to Mrs. Pattenson that night, before going to bed.Plenty of lines from Horace, Virgil, or Ovid flowed from his pen to the letterhead.None of this surprised anyone, and besides, good Mrs. Pattenson was used to it. The letter was to leave with the European mail the next day.It will meticulously relay back the details of this magical journey.In this letter Mr. Pattenson described every little incident which happened in greater detail than in the first letter, and added his personal impressions.He told how they were lucky enough to sail from England to the West Indies, how they overcame seasickness and how they ate the cherry pit that Mrs. Pattenson asked him to take just in case. Island, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia and in anticipation of their reception in Barbados by the generous Mrs. Karen Seymour .He expects the return voyage to also take place under extremely favorable conditions.Yep, no conflicts, no horrific shipwrecks! …The passengers on the Spirit in the Atlantic Ocean are generous and gentle, and the Aeolus will not throw all the storms in the sheepskin bag at them … Therefore, Mrs. Pattenson does not have to open the will, which is her husband. Those foreseeable provisions that should be drafted before leaving, and that do not need to use force to separate forever... What kind of provisions?Only this unique couple themselves understand. Pattenson then recounted a particularly memorable excursion on the Isthmus of Martinique.The cave snake suddenly appeared among the branches of a tree, and he dealt a violent blow to the giant beast. monstrum horrendum, in forme, ingens, cui, the light in the snake's eyes has not completely disappeared, but it is still alive... Now, this snake is stuffed with straw, but still has bright eyes, and its mouth is wide open, and three snake letters are revealed with it, but it won't hurt anymore! ...what would be the reaction when this giant snake was placed in a prominent place in the library of the Antilles High School. Incidentally, it should be added that the details of this matter can never be revealed.Be sure to keep it a secret.Even Tony Zeno didn't tell the whole story when he got to his lips more than once.We must preserve all the honors obtained by the brave leader, this unforgettable adventure, and the snakes that were made into specimens earlier. Mr. Pattenson concluded this long letter with many words of praise to the Captain of the Clever and his crew, whom it should be said were satisfactory to entrust the service in the cabin, whose work was blameless.Therefore, he intends to reward their care with a large bonus.As for Captain Paxson, he has never seen such a captain, whether on a national passenger liner or a merchant ship, he can simply be called a DOminus sectindum Deum who is second only to God. After kissing his wife's name softly, Mr. Pattenson signed his own at the end of the letter in intricate cursive script, showing that this venerable man really had a talent for calligraphy. All of them got back to the ship around eight o'clock the next morning.Roger Hinsdal insisted on being a landlord to the last moment, so they spent the night at his old house. Several friends of Edward Falk were also invited to dine with us.As usual, after a toast to everyone's good health, everyone drank another to Mrs Karen Seymour, a few days before the young travel grant recipients got to meet the terrific Mrs. ... Barbados is just around the corner... Barbados was the last stop in the Antilles and students will remember it forever! On that afternoon, however, something so serious occurred that the crew believed that their situation would be irreparably damaged. Everyone knows that Harry Markle only allows the crew to disembark when needed on board, and extreme caution makes him have to do so. At nearly three o'clock in the afternoon, some fresh meat and vegetables need to be purchased on board, and chef Ranya Kok will go ashore to the Castries market to buy these things. Harry Markle lowered the boat to take the cook and a sailor named Modern ashore. The boat sailed to the shore.A few minutes later, he returned to the stern of the Spirit again. At four o'clock in the afternoon, the captain sent the boat to the shore again. Forty minutes passed, but still no boat returned. Harry Markle is worried, John Carpenter and Coty are fidgeting, is something wrong? ...Why didn't you come back so late... Is there news from Europe that is not good for the captain and crew of the Spirit? ... At last, near five o'clock, the boat approached the Spirit. Before the boat approached, Coty shouted loudly: "Lan Ya came back alone!... Modern is not with him..." "Where will he be? . . . " asked John Carpenter. "Must have been drunk in a tavern somewhere! . . . " added Coty. "Nalanya should bring him back too," Harry Markle said, "this damn modern, he'll say everything under a brandy or gin spurt!  …" This is entirely possible, and everyone will know everything that happened from Lanya Kirk's mouth.While he was busy shopping in the market, Modern left him without saying a word.His propensity for alcoholism kept him insatiable on board, and there was no doubt that he must have slipped into a tavern at this time.The cook tried to find his companion, but it was a waste of time to search all the taverns in the port area, but there was no sign of him.It would be impossible to find this damned modern, and he should have been chained to the bilge if he knew it. "Get him back at all costs..." John Carpenter yelled. "We can't leave him on Saint Lucia!...he's going to talk nonsense...he doesn't know what he's talking about when he's drunk, and warships will be after us soon!..." These fears are too serious, and Harry Markle has never been in such great danger! Therefore, Modern must be brought back.Besides, this is also the captain's right and duty... He cannot leave a crew member aside.As long as the identity is found out, people will send him back.I hope he will not talk nonsense! ... Just as Harry Markle was about to go ashore and ask the port office to find his crew, a small boat approached the Spirit. There is a patrol ship in charge of port guard in the port of "Dockyard". It was indeed a small boat from the patrol ship that approached.An officer commanded six soldiers to board the boat. When there was less than a hundred meters left, Coty shouted: "Modern is inside!" Modern is literally "inside," curled up.After leaving the cook, he slipped into a sleazy bar, and soon he was so drunk that he was picked up and brought back to the Ingenuity by a small tackle from the patrol ship. Just got him on board. As soon as the officer stepped on deck, he asked: "Is Captain Paxon there?" "Yes, sir," Harry Markle replied. "Is this drunkard your sailor? . . . " "Exactly, I'm going to call the police now. Because we're lifting anchor tomorrow..." "Okay, I'll bring him back to you, and you can see how drunk he is..." "He'll be punished," Harry Markle replied. "But...you have to give me an explanation, Captain Paxon," the officer continued. "The sailor ... spoke in a drunken slur ... he spoke of battles in the Pacific ... and, finally, of the ship Helifa ... and of Harry Markle. His escape from Onston? We all know about it..." As you can imagine, it took a huge effort for Harry Markle to restrain himself, stay calm, and listen to the officer finish everything.John Carpenter and Coty were not as good as their leaders. They turned their heads to one side and moved slowly into the distance. Fortunately, the officer didn't notice their flustered expressions at all, and just asked: "Captain Paxon... what does this mean?..." "I can't explain that, sir," replied Harry Markle, "Modern is a drunk, and when he drinks, he doesn't know what's going on in his head..." "So he never sailed on the Helifa? . . . " "Never, we've sailed the seas together for more than ten years." "Then why is he talking about Harry Markle?..." the officer asked. "There was a great deal of repercussions about the Hurley, sir... when we left Queenston there was talk of the thieves breaking out... people talked about it a lot on board too... and it may stay like that. into his memory... that's the only explanation I can give of what the drunk said..." In short, there was nothing to arouse the suspicion of the officer who stood directly opposite Harry Markle, and nothing to lead him to suspect that the crew were not Captain Paxson's sailors at all.He ended the cross-examination by saying: "What will you do with this sailor? . . . " "Throw him in the bilge for a week where he can sober up," Harry Markle replied. "Honestly, if I hadn't been short of manpower, I'd have lost one in Cork Bay, and I'd have fired Morden in St. Lucia...but I couldn't find a replacement for him..." "When will your guest come aboard, Captain Paxson? . . . " "Tomorrow morning, because we're about to set sail." "Well, I wish you a pleasant journey!..." "Thank you very much, sir." The officer went down to the boat, left the Spirit, and headed for the patrol ship in the distance. As it should be, Modern was kicked into the hold.This drunk guy, who didn't hear a thing, didn't understand a thing, nearly gave it away when he talked about Hurley and Harry Markle while he was drunk. "This really made me break out in a cold sweat!..." Coty said, wiping his brow. "Harry," reminded John Carpenter, "we should be leaving tonight...don't wait for our guests!...the damned Antilles are too hot for us..." "No, as soon as we set off," replied Harry Markle, "everyone will understand what Modern says! . . . it will be revealed . . . the patrol ship will come after us in no time! . . . if you If you want to throw yourself into a trap, I will not stop it, but I...I want to stay here." The next day, just after eight o'clock, everyone went back to the boat.There is obviously no benefit in letting them know what happened the day before.It didn't matter if any sailor was keen to talk about it. Pulling up the anchor and pulling up the sails, the Spirit sailed away from the port of Castries and headed south towards Barbados Island!