Chapter 21 Chapter 6 Barbados

If the date of the Portuguese discovery of Barbados is unclear, it is certain that in 1605, a ship flying the British flag came to dock here, so the ownership of the island was established in the name of King Jacques I of England. Also, this behavior is purely nominal.Because, at that time, no institution was established in Barbados, and no colonists came to settle here, even temporarily. This island, like Saint Lucia, stands alone in the Lesser Antilles.One could also say that it does not belong to the Lesser Antilles, being separated from the other islands by a vast, deep sea.This is a plateau supported by a mountain. It is more than 40 miles (about 160 kilometers) away from the neighboring island of St. Lucia to the north. The sea between the two islands is 2,800 meters deep.

Barbados is composed of coral limestone.Over the years, the accumulation of ciliates gradually rises above sea level, forming islands.Its area is 16 Guli (about 64 kilometers) long and 5 Guli (about 20 kilometers) wide.The base of the island is solid and unshakable, and a huge reef belt protects two-thirds of its perimeter. Precisely at the beginning of the sixteenth century, due to its relative isolation, the sovereignty of Barbados was not as much disputed as that of other West Indies, but it was precisely because of this unexpected situation that the European powers aroused great concern for their sovereignty. It's favored.

An English ship, returning from Brazil, encountered a strong storm off the coast of Barbados, and was obliged to enter the mouth of a river west of it, seeking shelter from the wind.The captain of the ship stayed there for several days, allowing time to visit the then-virtually unknown island.After admiring its fertile lands through the forests that covered nearly the entire island, the captain confirmed that the land, once cleared, would be very favorable for the cultivation of cotton and sugar cane. After the ship's return to London, Earl Mal Borrug was granted a concession for the development and use of Barbados.After negotiating with a wealthy businessman in the city, they came to settle here in 1624, and they built the first city here.In gratitude to the sovereign, they named the city Jamestown.

Earl Carlisle had indeed acquired the privilege of owning all the Caribs before this, and therefore he thought he had good reason to claim power over Barbados. Thus began the struggle between the two English nobles.The struggle was protracted and intensified, and it was not until 1629 that King Charles I of England confirmed all the powers of the Earl of Carlisle. During the period of intense religious disputes in Britain, many of them wanted to flee as soon as possible, and Barbados took advantage of this great opportunity of people emigrating abroad, which made the colony grow in importance and prosperity by leaps and bounds. Grow and grow.

After the end of Cromwell's dictatorship, Charles II successfully restored and succeeded his father's throne. At the request of the colonists, the king agreed to accept the right to rule the island and made him promise to pay the royal palace. Island product income is taxed at 4.5 percent.This highly favorable proposal was accepted. On December 12, 1667, the treaty of annexation of Barbados within the scope of the British colony was signed. From this period onwards, prosperity on the island skyrocketed. In 1674, its population had reached 120,000 people, and since then, it has decreased. Compared with the number of freed slaves and slaves, whites only accounted for one-fifth of them, which is the result of the greed of the rulers.However, because of its location, Barbados was scratched by intermittent wars between Britain and France, while on the other hand, it was protected by natural barriers.

In this way, when most of the other islands in the Antilles were successively brought under the rule of various powers, Barbados, which belonged to the United Kingdom at the beginning of its discovery, has always maintained its language, culture and customs. Also, because it is part of the British Empire, it should be believed to have a certain degree of independence.Its parliament consists of twenty-four members elected by five thousand tax-paying electors.Parliament is headed by a Governor General, a Legislative Assembly and nine councils appointed by the monarch.Parliament is governed by an executive council with a senator and four lords as well as a number of key civil servants.The whole island is divided into eleven administrative regions, and the total budget is not less than 1.6 million pounds (40 million francs, author's note).

The Governor General of Barbados commands the entire navy of the British Lesser Antilles.Although the island ranks fifth with an area of ​​430 square kilometers, it has the second largest population and the third largest trade volume.Its population is the fastest growing in the entire archipelago at 183,000 people, a third of which are in the city of Bridgetown and its suburbs. The sailing time from Castries, St. Lucia to Bridgetown, Barbados takes forty-eight hours.With the breeze blowing on the sea and the sea climate conducive to navigation, the cleverness can complete the voyage in less than half the time, but the intermittent wind and constantly changing wind direction prevent it from sailing in a straight line.Later, the wind even blew to the northwest, forcing Harry Markle to gradually move away from the coast of the Antilles.

From the first day, everyone was most worried about encountering an adverse trade wind from the west.In such weather conditions, the Spirit might be towed far out to sea, so that she would have to sail forward in a circuitous way in order to reach the shore of Barbados in these few days.Does anyone know if Harry Markle will give up this last berth?Would this last mooring be good for his companions and himself? ... If he sails to the Pacific Ocean in a ship without "passengers", his safety will not be guaranteed. Who knows whether he can escape from this dangerous sea area? ... In this way, none of this will happen. Harry Markle's character is well known. He is firm and decisive. He is not moved by the stupid demands of the crew. He emphasized that Barbados should be the last stop; the trip will be in It was over in a few days, and the dire near misses would not happen in Barbados as they were in the two British islands of St. Lucia and Dominica, so he said:

"On return, the Spirit will be worth seven thousand pounds, for I will not throw that money overboard. It will be those who received it in Barbados." The climate that has everyone worried has not changed much.In the afternoon, a strong storm appeared on the sea. For a while, thunder rumbled on the sea and heavy rain poured down.Such storms are not uncommon in the Antilles, and often cause untold disasters.The Spirit had to spend several hours at sea.Later, this inclement weather finally ends as the sun sets and the night will be fairly calm. On the first day, the Spirit only completed a quarter of the voyage between the two islands.The storm forced it to sail at a low speed against the wind outside the course.Harry Markle looks to make up time lost during the day at night.

And so it went.The wind direction has changed.The weak and intermittent trade winds are blowing east again.But the situation on the sea is still grim and rough.Until dawn, all the Ingenuity could do was to get back upwind.On the morning of September 6th she sailed halfway between the two islands. On that day, with fairly good weather conditions, the ship sailed forward at a medium speed.In the evening, the Spirit had entered the waters of Barbados. Visible at a great distance, like Martinique, the island is a depression, without major undulations, which rises slowly above the sea level, and whose highest peak, Mount Helebi, does not exceed Three hundred and fifty meters.Around the island, like St. Lucia, there are continuous coral limestone reefs that extend for several kilometers around the island.

Harry Markle sailed west, about fifteen nautical miles, and would reach the island in a few hours.Not wanting to risk running aground, however, he lowered his masts and stood still until daylight before entering Bridgetown harbour. The next day, September 7th, the Spirit dropped anchor in port. The young pupils of the Antilles High School enter the Port of Bridgetown with the impression that Alice Ricluse marked it in his geography textbook, and they think they are in an English port, such as Like the port of Belfast or the port of Liverpool.Not at all like the scenes they lined up at Port Amalie-Charlotte in St. Thomas, Pointe-Pitre in Guadeloupe, and Port Saint-Pierre in Martinique, according to French geographers.The palm trees on this island may seem alien. Although Barbados is medium in size, it has a number of fairly important cities, all built along the waterfront: Speyungstown, Roystingtown, Roberttown and the frequented Thalasso village.All these cities are as British as their name. One might say that these cities were deposited here by England like spare parts of a machine, which had only to be installed on the spot. As soon as the Spirit's anchor was thrown into the water, the first person to come aboard was a dignified, courteous man in black frock coat and top hat like a gentleman.This man had come to convey Mrs. Karen Seymour's greetings to Captain Paxon and his guests. This man was Mr. Governor Ware, and he bowed to Mr. Horatio Pattenson with great respect, and Mr. Pattenson returned his homage with equal respect.Afterwards, the two exchanged a few words.The students enjoying the travel grant couldn't hold back their strong desire to see Mistress Notting-Month. To this, Mr. Weir replied that as soon as they landed, Mrs. Karen Seymour's future guests could board the luxury carriages that had been prepared for them, and everyone would be sent to Notting House immediately, Karen Seymour. Mrs. Seymour was there waiting for their arrival. Mr. Weir then took his respectful farewell, and Mr. Pattenson spoke highly of Mr. Weir's gentility.There could be no doubt that the rooms were being prepared for Notting-House's guests, and lunch was to be at eleven o'clock. In addition, it is likely that the Spirit spent more time at anchor in Barbados than other islands.Was it not natural that Mrs. Karen Seymour would want the students of the Antilles High to stay with her for a few more days?And how could they refuse her kindness? . . . Was it not a matter of course that the good lady should want them to have a good look at what she thought was without a doubt the prettiest island in the West Indies? ... At ten thirty, Mr. Pattenson had undoubtedly changed into a black tuxedo, and the young students had put on their neatest clothes.Everyone is ready to go. The boat that was lowered from the Spirit was waiting for them, and after putting down some boxes and luggage, they all went on to the boat.The boat took them to shore and back again. As Mr. Weir said, two splendid carriages were waiting, with the driver in the driver's seat and the footman at the door. Mr. Pattenson and his classmates got into the carriage immediately.The horse galloped.After passing through the commercial street near the port, the carriage came to the outskirts of Fontabelle.The scenery here is elegant, and the rich and powerful businessmen of Bridgetown live here. There are magnificent houses and luxurious and elegant villas hidden among the green trees.Of these residences, the most luxurious is of course the mansion of Mrs. Karen Seymour. The two parties have already agreed that during the mooring in Barbados, no one will return to the ship, and everyone will only see Harry Markle again on the day of departure. In a way, this pleases Harry Markle.Once the students have settled in Notting-House, the Spirit will not receive any visitors.And the fake Captain Paxson would not be in danger of being recognized. On the other hand, the extended berthing time does not worry Harry Markle.Because since the voyage plan made by Mrs. Karen Seymour only allows two to three days to stay in the other Antilles, it is unknown what this lady has planned for Barbados. Ridgetown for a week, maybe two weeks, that is to say until September 20th.Even on this date, with an average voyage of twenty-five days from America to Europe, the students of the Antilles High School will return to school in mid-October, which is about the beginning of the term.In this case, the berthing hours would probably end before the twentieth, allowing Mrs. Karen Seymour's guests to have a full survey of the island. That's exactly what Harry Markle and company think.So far, they have avoided danger several times, first avoiding a visit from the sailor of the "Firefly", who asked to see a colleague of his, and later avoiding the meeting of the old Dominican crew with Captain Paxson.Could bad luck be upon us in Barbados? ... In any case, Harry Markle will be more vigilant than ever to refuse any invitation to Notting House.None of his men were allowed to disembark, and it was unlikely that neither Modern nor any of the others had the chance of slipping into a Bridgetown tavern this time. This Neuschhaus is a gorgeous garden residence with a very important status.The castle is set in a beautiful tropical tree-lined garden, with sugar cane plantations and cotton fields stretching out into the distance around it, and a lush forest stretching as far as the eye can see to the northeast.Although the reclamation of the island has reduced the rainfall, the ponds and creeks flow with perpetually clear, cool water.Several rivers water the reclaimed land, and there are numerous wells with shallow water. The governor ushered Mr. Pattenson and the young lads into the spacious hall of the castle, while the Negro servants unloaded their luggage and carried them into each individual's room, and Mr. Weir ushered them all in. The drawing room, where Mrs. Karen Seymour was waiting. This is a woman over sixty years old, silver-haired, blue-eyed, handsome, slender, elegant, kind and kind.Mr. Horatio Pattenson wasted no time in addressing her with a line from Virgil's verse, le patuit incessu Dea. The lady extended her warmest welcome, and she made no secret of her delight at hosting the prize-winning students of the Secondary School of the Antilles. Affection. On behalf of the students, Roger Hinsdal gave a thank-you speech to Mrs. Karen Seymour. This speech was sincere and Mrs. Karen Seymour was very fascinated by Roger Hinsdal's memorization by heart.Then she was full of praise, and at the same time announced to the students on the Spirit that they would be her guests during their stay in Barbados. Mr Pattenson replied that Mrs Karen Seymour's will was to them the will.When Mrs. Seymour held out her hand to him, Mr. Pattenson kissed the back of her hand very respectfully. Mrs. Karen Seymour was born into a wealthy family in Barbados.The family has had a concession over the area from the early days of colonization.She counted her ancestor, Count Carl Risler, among the charters of the island.His income during this period was a cotton rent of £40 a year from the alienation of the land.These lands brought her family a considerable income, especially the Notting-House estate. Here it is necessary to explain the climate of Barbados.The island's climate, like that of the rest of the Antilles, is also very healthy.The island's climate is tempered by gentle breezes from the sea, and the catastrophic yellow fever disease that often plagues the island has never had its way here.Worrying about the island are the terrible hurricanes that frequent the sea. The Government of the British Antilles, based in Barbados, has great respect for Mrs. Karen Seymour, a generous, generous and benevolent lady.The unfortunate may ask her endless favors. Lunch is prepared in the hall on the first floor, and the table is filled with products from the island, all kinds of fish, game and fruits, the aroma is overflowing, and the guests feel that these dishes are really worthy of the name. If they were satisfied with the hostess's hospitality, the hostess was also satisfied with the young fellows who sat around her.Although the cheeks of these young travelers were reddened by the sea wind, they were full of joy and health. During the dinner, when asked about the period of berthing in Barbados, Mrs. Karen Seymour replied: "I think, dear children, the stay should not be less than two weeks. Today is September 7th, and the departure date is set for the 22nd. There is every reason to believe that you will be able to return to England in mid-October... ...I hope you will not regret your stay in Barbados ... How do you feel about the time, Mr. Pattenson?" "Madam, we take it at your convenience," replied Mr. Pattenson, bowing. "Our time is arranged by you..." "To be honest, my young friends, if I had my way, I wouldn't want you to go back to Europe! ... But what should your family say? ... What if your wife can't see you going back Say, Mr. Pattenson? . . . " "It's settled," replied the leader, "yes...unless the Ghost disappears...many years have passed without hearing from me..." "Oh, it will never happen!" said Mrs. Karen Seymour firmly. "You are lucky to come, Dian will be lucky to return, you have a very good ship... Captain Paxson is a very good sailor..." "Of course," Mr Pattenson added. "We are extremely satisfied with his driving skills!" "I shall not forget him," replied Mrs. Karen Seymour. "Yes, I shall forget, my lord, and we shall not forget the day when we were able to pay you our first homage. die albo notanda lapillo... as Martial said: hanc luccm lactea gemma notet, or as Horace puts it: cressa ne careat pulchra dies nota, or as Stass puts it: creta signare diem..." Thank goodness Mr. Pattenson stopped on the last intro, otherwise the young guests would have interrupted him with their "huh!" It was impossible for Mrs. Karen Seymour to understand the Latin, but she would not have misunderstood the good intentions of the eloquent man.In addition, the award-winning students may not have fully understood the quotations from Marthias, Stass and Horace.So, when they were alone, Roger Hinsdal asked him: "Mr. Pattenson, how to accurately translate creta signare diem..." "Recording a day in chalk is like recording it with a piece of white plaster, lacta gemma...Why, you, Hinsdal, you don't understand, but Mrs. Karen Seymour must be..." "Oh!" Tony Leno yelled. "Yes... yes..." the leader said affirmatively, "this wonderful Latin language can be understood by itself..." "Oh!" Goddamn Tony yelled again. "Why 'oh'?..." "Because Latin, even if it is a wonderful language, is not always easy to understand alone, as you say, Mr. Pattenson." Tony Renault said affirmatively. "Well, then, allow me to quote you a sentence and translate it." Indeed, the "incorrigible" boy was about to joke again, he was used to such things.And his classmates were very clear about his intentions. "Let's look at the sentence you quoted...please say..." replied Mr. Pattenson, straightening his spectacles solemnly. "That's it: Rosam angelum letorum." "Ah!" Mr. Pattenson looked surprised. "Then, who did this quote come from?..." "An unknown author...it doesn't matter!...What does it mean?" "It doesn't mean anything, Tony! . . . These are incoherent words... Rosam, rose, is accusative; angclum, angel, is accusative; letorum, lucky ones, plural genitive..." "I beg your pardon," Tony Raynor retorted, a sly look in his eye. "This sentence has a very precise meaning..." "You know what it means? . . . " "Know!" "Ah... well, let me think... let me think!" He really should think about it, and he's going to have to think about it for a long time, because everyone is watching him. From this day on, the mooring time passed day by day during the sightseeing.Mrs. Karen Seymour also often participated in the sightseeing activities of the students. They not only visited the industry of Notting House, but also visited some other areas in the east.Bridgetown wasn't the only place that Mrs. Rich and her guests were going to see as they pushed their scrutiny all the way to the seaside cities, and Mrs. Karen Seymour was genuinely delighted with what they had to say about their island. Words of praise. During the whole stay, the Spirit was completely and completely forgotten by its "passengers" because everyone was busy looking around.They didn't have a single chance to get back on board, plus Harry Markle and the others were vigilant and eager to get out of Barbados despite having no accidents to implicate them.That way, once at sea, they would be able to avoid all contingencies and thus end the tragedy. We can say without exaggeration that the island of Barbados is a huge garden, rich in fruit and flowers everywhere.In this garden, there is also a large vegetable garden, which is agriculturally rich in rice and "Barbados" cotton, which is very popular in the European market.Sucrose production is considerable.It should be added that the industrial production on the island is also changing and flourishing with each passing day.In fact, there are no fewer than five hundred factories in Barbados. The students took advantage of various opportunities to visit some other cities, and their daily visits were extended and extended, and they could not return to Notting-House during the day.The exception is that almost every night, they gather in the castle hall to talk about their impressions.The dignitaries of Bridgetown, the Honorable Governor, members of the Executive Council and some senior civil servants came to Mrs. Karen Seymour's house many times to have dinner with you. The 16th is a grand festival, at least more than 60 guests are invited to come, and the celebration of the festival ends with fireworks.The young award-winning students were treated with honor by the concierge, regardless of race. Mrs. Karen Seymour repeated: "I don't want to see here Englishmen, Frenchmen, Dutchmen, Swedes, Danes... No! No! Only Antilleans here, my countrymen!" Beautiful music was played at the concert, and several West tables (precursor to bridge) were set up.Mr Horatio Pattenson was very proud to be Mrs Karen Seymour's partner, and he played a deck of ten grand slams that are still talked about in the West Indies. Time just passed by like a fleeting moment, and the guests of Notting-House could only watch the time passing by.The twenty-first of nine days came without them knowing.Harry Markle didn't see them back on the boat again.Besides, the departure date was set on the 22nd, and they were in no hurry to return. However, the day before departure, Mrs. Karen Seymour said she would visit the Spirit.What a pleasure this was for Louis Clodiron and their schoolmates.They were honored to receive Mrs. Karen Seymour as graciously as she had done them lordship at her castle, on board.The honorable lady would like to see Captain Paxson and express her sincere thanks to him, not to mention that she has something to ask of Captain Paxson. So that morning the splendid carriage left Lady Karen Seymour's mansion for Bridgetown harbour. A larger boat came across from the sea and waited by the steps of the trestle quay to ferry the visitors aboard the Spirit. Harry Markle had been notified by the Governor in advance, and he and his companions had wanted to politely decline the visit, as they were always worried about some unexpected complications, but this was impossible to avoid. "Well, let's stay away from these people! . . . " John Carpenter had proposed aloud. "Maybe...but be well behaved, be polite," Harry Markle replied. Mrs. Karen Seymour was received with due respect, solely because of her formidable importance in Barbados.She first expressed her heartfelt thanks to the captain. Harry Markle responded respectfully, and then, after confirming that the crew had worked meticulously, Mrs Notting-House added that she was giving the crew a £500 bonus, and Coty let out a "uh-lah" shouted, and then accepted the bonus very respectfully. Lady Karen Seymour was taken aft after a tour of the ship's dining room and cabins.Every orderly arrangement made her very satisfied.How highly praised was Mr. Pattenson when he pointed to the serpent which coiled around the mizzenmast in a hideous and menacing pose. "What!" cried Mrs. Karen Seymour, "it was you, Mr. Pattenson, who killed this dreadful monster? . . . " "It's me," Mr. Pattenson replied. "If the appearance after death is still so terrible, what do you think it looks like when it is alive, especially when it spits out a long snake letter and rushes towards me!" If Tony Reynolds didn't bow down with laughter at this eloquence, it was only because Louis Clodiron wrung him so hard. "Besides, when I beat it to death, it was still alive! . . . " exclaimed Mr. Pattenson. "Exactly!" replied Tony Raynor, and this time, his companions could no longer hold him. After returning to the stern, Mrs. Karen Seymour saw Harry Markle again, and said to him: "Are you going to sea tomorrow? Captain Paxson?..." "Yes, ma'am, we will return at sunrise tomorrow." "Well, well, I have a request to you... It concerns a young sailor of twenty-five, the son of one of my maids, a brave fellow, who is returning to England, on a merchant ship As first mate, . . . I would be very grateful if you could send him back on the Spirit." Appropriate or not, Harry Markle obviously couldn't say no to the request, since Dame Karen Seymour was in charge of sailing the ship.So he had no choice but to answer: "Let this young man come on board, and he will be well received here." Mrs. Karen Seymour again expressed her thanks to the captain, and then charged her with a duty to Mr. Pattenson and the families of the young students on the return voyage. And why not for Harry Markle?What grave perils had he and his fellows faced for this.At this moment, Mrs. Karen Seymour announced that, just today, Mr. Pattenson and the scholarship recipients will each receive a prize of 700 pounds. Mr. Pattenson remarked with all sincerity that Mistress Notting-House was too generous to bear such a sum, and Roger Hinsdal, Louis Clodiillon, and others joined in.But Mrs. Karen Seymour said the refusal would displease her, and therefore there was no point in going any further, and John Carpenter and all the sailors were delighted. Then, after saying a cordial farewell to the captain of the Ingenuity and wishing him a safe voyage, the Honorable Lady and her guests re-boarded the boat and returned to shore.The carriage waiting there took them back to the castle, where they would continue their happy last day. When everyone left the boat, Coty shouted: "Successful!..." "Damn it! . . . " said John Carpenter, "I see these fools refusing to take their prize! . . . Never risk your life and go back with an empty pocket!" "In short, the students will come back with money, and that money should double the benefits of the voyage." "What about the crew?..." Coty asked. "Forget it! . . . " replied the captain, "if there was one more, I don't think it would bother us . . . " "No!" Coty retorted, "I'm in charge of him!" A sumptuous dinner brought together the dignitaries of the colony and Lady Karen Seymour's guests at Notting-House that evening.After the meal, everyone said goodbye to each other.The students returned to the Spirit.Each of them received a small silk bag containing guineas (San Francisco, England, worth 21 shillings).That's the prize money given to the winners of the Antilles contest. The young seaman whom Mrs. Karen Seymour had asked for a ride had come on board an hour before, and had been shown into the cabin prepared for him. Everything is ready for the next day to prepare for departure.As soon as the sun rose, the Spirit was leaving Bridgetown, her last berth in the West Indies.