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Show xv- 'in ' "'A' ,y wlfh -i , - yy?J&' y 1ViM : m ? v y rChJ''' myyyiUy yy iy v-. cyv n. fzfl - --4., , 'x-w:4v''Xw-ft,5 -'5- .. "V : :::":. . :::. ;: . .-.. ;v- y. Principal Street of Willemstad. black and a mixture of West Indian, negro and Spanish blood. In Curacao there apparently is more pure West Indian and nesrro blood than in many of the other islands of the West Indian In-dian islands. The negroes themselves are a pleasant, pleas-ant, agreeable race in Curacao, seeming seem-ing to have felt the influence of the thrifty Dutch for many years. Dutch is the official language of the island, of course, though English i9 mostly spoken. The natives, speak Dutch and English slightly and have a peculiar mixture of French, Spanish, Span-ish, Dutch and Indinn that is their chief tongue. This language is very crude and is never learned, simply absorbed. ab-sorbed. Scenes upon the streets of Willemstad Willem-stad are certain to entertain every one who has come here for the first visit. Many of the streets are very narrow, but always clean, and the views along them form an interesting study. In the hotels the J'lod, though not always of the best quality, is cooked very well and Is served in an appetizing appetiz-ing way. Considering the prices charged by the hotels and the prices which they are required to pay for the food, the fare is very good. Outside of Willemstad itself there is little to interest anyone. The island receives a small rainfall. Luckily Luck-ily for the inhabitants, Willemstad is a free port, nnd they therefore are able to import many foods and goods without having to pay much more for them than cost at their point of origination. orig-ination. The Dutch government maintains 200 soldiers from Holland and an equal number of native militia at Willemstad. Willem-stad. This force acts under the command com-mand of the governor and is for service serv-ice in nil rarts of the island. The peaceful nature of the islanders, however, how-ever, seems to make the maintenance of this force a needless expense. A LITTLE bit of Holland trans- j planted in the Caribbean is j Curacao, a Dutch Island that j is but 40 miles from the i northern coast of Venezuela nnd only a little more than 100 miles from La Guayrn, port town for Caracas, capital of Venezuela. No other island of the West Indies so nearly represents, by Its physical appearance and its people, peo-ple, the country of the Zuyder Zee as does fills quaint, pretty nnd very hospitable hos-pitable little island, chief possession i of the Dutch in the Caribbean. j The sea comes Into Willemstad, port city of Curacao, to form a land- j locked harbor, unlike any other in the ' West Indies. This harbor, which Is nearly half a mile long, very deep and large, forms a spacious port of call for many ships at one time. Two Dutch i forts, which are none too formidable in looks, but which appeal to one be- : cause of their squatty, somber, ; "LHitchy" appearance, guard the entrance en-trance to the harbor. A bridge spans '.he narrow channel just above the forts, and is swung back for ships coming' in or going out, to leave the way clear. i About the town of Willemstad itself ; there Is n charming influence which immediately wins the stranger, so ' much like the mother country is this little port. The architecture is Dutch; the buildings themselves might have been brought bodily from Amsterdam, so much do they resemble the physical features of that Dutch city. The town is built down to the water front on both sides of the main inlet of the bar- , bor as well as along the lagoon. j Just above the forts and on the right side as a ship enters, stands the governor's home and the general government buildings, n pleasing sight. Extending along the same side and also running along the opposite shore are the business houses, which stand but n few feet back from the water itself. Entering the Harbor. As the ship drifts toward its dock n passenger ntay get n good view of the town. The architecture fascinates; fas-cinates; the busy condition of the dock and adjoining streets, where hundreds of people seem to swarm at 4heir work, gives an Impression of a hustling, and much alive tropical town. As the ship goes on past a break in the line of buildings the lagoon Is observed to , the right, and down to its edge bun- dreds of homes whose tile roofs appenr i in varied contrast under the sun. These homes, the passenger will soon learn, If he chooses to hire an automobile at $2 an hour to ride about the town, are Ideal In cleanliness. Many ships are always to be found In the Willemstad harbor. Even during dur-ing the war there usually are three or four sleumers at dock In addition to many one, two and three-masted sailing sail-ing schooners, which ply between Curacao Cu-racao and ports of Vcnc.ucla. Because Be-cause of these ships and for the reason rea-son that many business bouses are down at the edge of the wafer, Wlllein-sliid Wlllein-sliid gives an Immediate Impression of much hustle and activity. The business places themselves, even with ships absent, would contri'.'ule much toward making this same Impression. Impres-sion. And, due to these scenes at the dock, during (be hours of regular business, busi-ness, the passenger, even though be never leaves bis ship, always carries away a picture of this little town that be never will forget. Puck among the homes that border upon the water of the lagoon Is to be found "Spotless Tow.i," if iiinVlvrc In the world outside of Holland such a town elss. These homes, with their 1 hitch nrehilootnre. are us free from ,bil aial elher Ibiie-. thai deltaicl lYoin r I lool.a and comfort in any hon es can be. The Kiel !"'. v. 1 1 ! i li ' ' eebbo' ...... b .. '1 .c b'h" |