Lack of Fresh Water. 613 wharf. Its rates are exorbitant. The owners avail themselves of every advantage the laws permit. Under the present arbitrary wharfage laws of Jamaica (a relic of former days) the wharf owner gets all the benefits, and shippers suffer all the disadvantages. Wharf owners usually do lighterage, or, as it is called, drogherage," for it does not pay small shippers to own boats. The worms are very apt to destroy a boat in a short time unless it is often painted, and coppered regularly. There is very little fresh water obtainable at Dry Harbor, and in times of severe drought people are obliged to pay as high as sixpence (twelve cents) per kerosene tin containing five gallons, for drinking water. Think of that, in a land of springs! At such times cattle suffer great distress. If the drought is prolonged, numbers die ere friendly rains fill the ponds or wallows. It was from Dry Harbor that many of the Cuban insurgents were assisted to reach their comrades, and arms were shipped eighty miles across the sea to the south side of Cuba. There are not many roads to the interior at this point. The peasants use narrow, precipitous footpaths which tourists could hardly tread, nor could the latter penetrate the dense bush. There is a fine road along the coast from Lucea to Falmouth, where it branches off southeast to Brown's Town. From there it extends to Ewarton, which is one terminus of the Jamaica Railway. This is known as the Grand Interior Road. The other main road passes through Duncan's, then to the northward and past Dry Harbor and Runaway Bay to the east. Runaway Bay is located three miles east of Dry Harbor, and obtained its name from having been the place from which the Spaniards were finally driven from the Island. The Spanish Governor fled in a small boat, and Spanish rule in Jamaica forever ended with his hasty flight. Runaway Bay has a decided advantage over Dry Harbor in situation. The coast formation and reefs make this an "open roadstead" instead of a safe port. Vessels can generally lie at easy anchor without risk of running ashore. But in the hurricane season they must seek shelter elsewhere. The village lies directly at the foot of the Brown's Town Road. Dry Harbor has a separate road leading to Brown's Town, but trade has been largely diverted from that to the new Runaway Bay Road. This Runaway Bay Road is more direct, less precipitous, and better "metalled." Metalling is the name given to the process of packing broken stones on the roads so that the action of the rain and traffic will in time reduce the broken stones to a sort of cement. This process, carried on for years, has given Jamaica grand main roads, which in most places rival the asphalt drives in American parks and avenues. The parochial roads of the Island are not as good as the main roads. Their oversight rests with the Parochial Boards of the various parishes. These Boards are, as a rule, most inharmonious, and sometimes lack funds for improvements. The bills for construction and repairs of main roads are paid by the Island Treasurer, but the parochial roads are maintained by the parishes. Wealth of Ferns. 615 Tourists should by all means make a detour from Runaway Bay to Brown's Town. In few journeys of seven miles will so many, beautiful views and interesting objects be seen. The climb is necessarily slow, and good buggy mules are better than horses for the journey. The country on either side abounds in pimento walks, and no healthier or more productive trees are to be found anywhere. The climate is mild and delightful, while at nearly every turn of this mountain road vistas of beauty unfold. There is a fair amount of sheep raising carried on. Fat beeves are seen munching the rich grass of the numerous pens. Strange rock formations arrest the eye. In many places wild fig and other trees have split open great rocks and twined their roots about them to such extent that one fears to drive past. The wealth of ferns is astonishing. They are of all sorts, shades, and fineness. Especially beautiful are the gold, and silver, and several varieties of maidenhair ferns. One botanist has several hundred specimens mounted. Near Brown's Town is a fertile sugar estate called Orange Valley, which is exceptionally well situated. When drought prevails, its fields do not suffer as badly as others. Its situation is such that they retain moisture for a long time. On this property are forcible reminders of past glories. One notes with surprise the massive gates built in most substantial style. The walls have stood for decades, and many parts of the "great house" have resisted the tooth of time. (Begun in issue March 16. To be continued.) EASY SCIENCE 80 Submarine boats-and more submarine boats. How many of these wicked, silent destroyers there are! An English paper publishes a large page full of plans. Now Tesla claims he has discovered the most Tesla's Submarine perfect torpedo boat. It will look like a big torpedo, and will contain smaller torpedoes. It will need neither crew nor wires, and it will steer itself as it scatters destruction. It will be 36 feet long and carry six 14-foot Whitehead torpedoes, "which can be fired as rapidly as a self-cocking revolver;" $50,000 will be the cost of this wonder, which will kill the enemy without hurting a hair of the heads of its own operators. Our government has made another advance in modern warfare. General Greeley, of the Signal Corps, has been given $25,000 to build a flying machine. Crocodiles. Two enormous crocodiles in the Zoo at Bayeux, France, fought a terrific battle the other day. Jacques and Pierri had lived peaceA Duel between fully in the same tank for many years. They were basking in the sun, as usual, when Jacques opened his eyes, blinked once or twice, and suddenly siezed Pierri's left hind leg in his jaws. Pierri didn't like that a bit. He gave a snort, and got even with Jacques by taking possession of the latter's right hind leg. The tails Shrieking Wells 617 slashed like giant whips, and the water was churned into red foam. Jacques bit harder; so did Pierri. Then bones began to crunch. An excited crowd was watching the combat, and the keepers had hard work to bring a surgeon to the rescue. The crocodiles were finally strapped down and the wounded legs amputated, the saurians blinking unconcernedly during the operation. At last accounts they were basking in the sun as before. Five years from now we may read of their seizing each a tail and eating each other up, like the Kilkenny cats. There are some very curious wells in Wisconsin. Half a dozen of them are from 120 to 160 feet deep. They roar, and groan, and shriek, Shrieking Wells. and are accurate barometers, making certain noises just before storms and warm and cold weather. The louder they shriek the heavier the storm. The air that rushes from them is sometimes hot enough to boil water placed on a cover. winter they suck in air with as much force as they drive it out in summer. Water freezes at 120 feet below the surface of the ground. So far no one has been able to explain the cause of all these queer antics. In Mr. John Bookwalter, who is back from a long Asiatic trip, found in Siberia a beautiful flower that blossoms in January. It resembles A Flower that Blos- the convolvulus, a blossom lasting soms in January. only a day. The flower is starshaped when it opens, and the petals are the same |