In the Wake of the Buccaneers (1936)

[Music] 4 days out of New York South by East on a palacial modern steamer entering St Thomas Harbor in the midst of the Virgin Island so rich in Pirate lore where ghost ships of swashbuckling Cutthroats Laden with captives and booty still idle on the Blue Waters of the Caribbean we've come from the Open Sea to a dock some distance from the town steering the same course as did Sir Henry Morgan teach Blue Beard and their like through a narrow channel which would still try the patience of our Skipper were he powered by sail and not by steam there's a choice of Autos or motorboats to take us from The Landing dock to the town proper we choose the boat which allows us to view the colorful buildings as we Glide Across The Still Waters to the W St Thomas in a country where nature is Bountiful home of happy Carefree natives where even the most Tri event is made excuse for a holiday down to the docking of a [Music] boat it's but a short walk to the main street if you insist on riding however this patient little animal will accommodate you if you've crossed his master's pal with silver sister you fooled him with that broad brimmed hat he thought you hailed from the Wide Open Spaces of the Wild and Woolly West now you must think you're from Boston [Music] to the right emancipation Park supposed to be the place where in 1848 the proclamation freeing the slaves in the Danish West Indies was read to the multitude just beyond the Grand Hotel from which one may view life in the lower town or the government Colony on the hills in the background visiting friends in St Thomas is often a task as well as a pleasure many of the streets seem like endless stairways sometimes flights with as many as 100 steps the influence of the old world in the front yard of the new everything's all right as you approach St Thomas but it's all left the moment you land traffic signs or police will change your walking or driving habits of a lifetime within a few minutes and if by any chance you're looking for a particular address you'll find that your English or even high school French is of no assistance as the markers are still in the language of old Denmark from whom the United States purchased the islands in 1917 open drains lead water from torrential rains from the hills to the Sea the hills were denuded of trees by early colonizers who mistakenly Associated them with disease then prevalent on the island in all tropical countries the native marketplaces offer much that is of interest to the visitor who will arise in the early hours of the morning and search it out they're a pleasant colorful educational exhibit of the manners and customs of the people in St Thomas one un find spread the produce of not only this island but of Island communities nearby there's a true cross-section of the people themselves the bickering and battering of the buyer and seller the chit and chatter of local gossip and it's in an English that is decidedly English fruits the whole world knows a tropical like the coconut and the banana but a lot of others many never see like the guava the papaya and the sapadilla this little native made has come to Market on four legs instead of [Music] two The Cooperative store down near the warf sells native handcraft articles and Specialties which range from wolven hats bags and so on to guavas preserved in rum and packaged in colorful containers truly French Creations for many of the wolen hats and bags are made by the wives and Daughters of French fishermen Styles may come and styles may go but if you visit St Thomas for any length of time you'll probably find yourself wearing one of these light colorful and comfortable Chapo a vast assortment in size weave and color to suit any taste or type of [Music] beauty how do you like this one [Music] St Thomas is a port of call for the giant airliners on route from the north to Central and South America This Modern influence has left its mark on the community Through the naming of one of its large contiguous bodies of water Lindberg Bay in honor of the illustrious Flying Colonel who landed there on his Goodwill trip to South America [Music] one is apt to think of ocean bathing in tropical waters as a hazardous sport but even the Tiny Tots are safe in the surf at St Thomas it is claimed that attacks by sharks or other vicious denisons of the deep are unknown there protective reefs well off the shores of the island which these ocean Marauders fear to pass are said to be the [Music] reason conveniently located in an important Southern Ocean Lane St Thomas has for centuries attracted vessels which stopped their to take on supplies reship their caros or refuel no coal is mined on the island it's brought there from Far distant points but the refueling of modern Steamers is an important activity among the natives native men and women and the women are not in the minority add to their incomes by performing the arduous physical tasks incident to coaling the ships a new load of coal for a modern ship runs into the thousands of tons and in sa Thomas it all goes into the bunkers by way of these little baskets each one of which holds 60 lb payment for the labor is at the rate of about 1 and 1 12 cents a basket ship's officers hand a token to each loader passing with a full basket the loader later redeems this for cash a daily wage worthy of the name according to any standard of living can only result from almost endless round trips between the coal pile and the bunkers with a stiff hul up the CLE gang planks as an important Hazard it's the tropics and it's not uncommon for a thoughtful husband to carry his wife's empty basket back to the coal pile for refilling [Music] high in the Hills one finds a seat which commemorates the activities of Sir Francis Drake he was you will recall the heroic British Adventurer Explorer Privateer and Admiral whose vast and maybe legendary wealth still provides the basis for numerous get-rich quick promotions the seat looks down on maggin Bay and out over a broad expanse of the Atlantic Ocean Drake and others sailed their vessels in these difficult Wat in the light of the problems presented because of tide and wind present day Sailors regard this performance as quite a nautical [Music] feat on the south side of the island facing the Caribbean the visitor finds enjoyment in the modernly appointed blue Beard's Castle Hotel an interesting Union of the old days of romance and the present demand for effect effect creature Comfort the hotel is a development of a Simon pure pirate castle named for its most colorful own owner Edward de laar not the Blue Beard who killed so many wives but another Hardy Buccaneer so named because his beard is said to have had a tinge of Blue Blue Beard chose the spot as a lookout possibly for vessels he might attack we climbed the hill to look in on a remaining page of the history of a romantic if not a glorious age from the hotel Veranda the quaint town of St Thomas encircling the harbor below immediately impresses one with the characteristic of the sturdy Danes who developed it centuries ago the harbor is almost completely landlocked a safe refuge in time of storm within the past few years there has been a marked increase in the popularity of St Thomas as a tourist Resort it is now an American possession distinctively tropical in appearance and customs and it's easily reached by fast steam ships from America's largest centers of population the Comforts of the old Castle Hotel have had a great deal to do with the development of this popularity the spacious landscaped grounds include broad Terraces lined with palm and mahogany trees which afford cooling shade in in which to linger for rest and refreshment while enjoying an absolutely Unforgettable view let's watch carefully and see what excites the interest of these ladies aha the bottles tell the story and it's a story told few other places in the world there's a famous drink in the Virgin Island they call a swizzle you take a little of this a little of that and so on almost add inin item including lime sugar ice and water the most popular dispensing agent seem to be a combination of scientific chemist and Engineers so precise is their sense of quantity and so expert their manipulative ability Yin schwizzle stick the business end goes into the assorted liquids in the pitcher the other end between the palms of the hands it's rotated fast and long how long if you should happen to attempt the job yourself can only be determined by your power of endurance and your power to resist thirst well if I haven't been Intoxicated by the attendant atmosphere I seem to remember but two ladies at the table and ladies nine Swizzles is a large order on any man's Island we're moving on possibly to many other interesting ports along the Spanish M where the Tropical Sun beats down and the tempering trade wind still blow but we'll always remember quaint curious Old St Thomas and the Beautiful Harbor that saw us come and go we've seen and been entranced by the gem of the Caribbean a bit southeast of Florida sprawl the low-lying islands of the Bahamas one of Great Britain's self-governing colonies its capital city Nassau is situated on the island of New Providence about the size of Staten Island in New York Harbor and to the harbor of Nassau as calm as a pond come great ocean liners loaded with passengers headed for this haunt of happiness in the turquoise Caribbean to relax precisely as they please or to indulge in every type of Summer sport immediately the seagoing giant is surrounded by native black boys in small Vats eager to dive for flashing coins that will be thrown from crowded [Music] decks because of shallow shs a tender is drawn up to take off passengers who literally step across a threshold of romance The Landing is the introduction to much that is delightful strange and fascinating along the WF women of rather good size are seen making mats baskets and hats VI braiding together strips of dry Palm leaves and what lady just off the boat could resist buying a new hat here handmade in the very latest Nassau style smartly modeled Bahamian baskets of Cil are famous for their variety of color and form and the women who preside over the wees are as picturesque as the merchandise both present a quaintness and coloring that is unique policemen proud of their positions shine as directors of traffic they are selected with care and are well trained a reminder of old Nassau is the Queen's staircase a flight of 66 steps cut from the solid rock quaint indeed is the old city with its two- wheeled carts while the driver walks alongside pink walls and Gardens of a discus in Striking contrast are the wide streets and magnificent hotels of modern Nassau but they too are surrounded by the luxurious foliage of the tropics convenient and delightful are the outdoor swimming pools for it's always June in the Bahamas the English custom of afternoon tea is invariably followed and where could it be more pleasantly served than in the shade of Sheltering Palms at the same time watching a tennis match which is always in season here for thanks to the Gulf Stream even throughout the winter months the average temperature is remarkably high and golf too in unsurpassed [Music] settings one of the sites of Nassau is the huge silk cotton tree with high twisting roots that could make stalls For Elephants young Queen Victoria reigned when British shipping developed the Bahamas a sightseeing Excursion that visitors to Nassau seldom fail to take is a trip on a glass bottom boat for the waters about the islands are not only beautiful of color but also clear Beyond comparison it is possible to see small objects on the bottom at a depth of more than 50 ft a host of marine plants and animals flash by anemones seafans Coral mollusks and [Music] shellfish but William is not interested in the Flora and forer colonies of sponges Branch out in a plant-like manner though in reality they are a low form of animal the sponge SP divver Fleet of Schooners clustered along the warf constitutes one of the highlights of Nassau for the Gathering of sponges is the most important industry on the islands to cure the sponges they are first spread about the boat allowing the softened animal matter to run off then the sponges are taken to the packing yards in the familiar two- wheeled [Music] cart here the work is done by the whole family the baskets are unloaded and the sponges are spread out in the sun to be dried and bleached now in the women's division they are sorted for size and cleaned of sand and shell while over in the men's department the sponges are trimmed with long sharp knives that could do a lot of damage in case of trouble finally pressed into bales of about 100 pounds each the sponges are sent out to the markets of the [Music] world [Music] oh the Moss grown ramparts of old forts recall to mind the feverish history of the Spanish main here guns were mounted to repel attacks from pirate ships and for half a century appeared in Nassau Harbor with the skull and crossbow flying at the M head and later during the war between the states blockade Runners unloaded cotton and stealthily took on Contraband but today there's little to worry the zoab senty standing guard for now his interest has changed from the bloody battles of Buccaneers to a game of English football played in the spirit of clean sport good fun and fellowship or to watch a little practice of Polo silhouetted against the calm Emerald sea the beauty of the surrounding water is attractive to sailboats as well as magnificent private yachts off which fishing is a favorite sport for in the waters near Nassau are found the big fish that Sportsman dream about the fish running alone or in schools are of many varieties and record catches are making these Waters an Anglers Paradise it looks like this fellow has caught himself a sailfish beautiful birds fly above and below a school of porpuses playfully leap in and out of the sea these pig-like mammals are the acrobats of the ocean tumbling and bouncing about the way waves flash of a spike in the water a terrific tug on the line and off in the distance a giant blue marlin jumps and turns and [Music] twists just as it begins to look like Mr Marlon is done for away goes the line again there's plenty of fight left in this demon of the [Music] deep at last he's in and what a beauty and now back to Nassau with its colorful Skyline blending the old and the new Paradise Beach is famous the world over for here is bathing at its best from Southern Skies the bright Sun Shines down on fine white sand so luring for long seesters between dips in the bracing Sur The Haunting beauty that captivated ancient Mariners lingers on a