is one of the most charming of the West Indies; but
it is cut off from the world except for trade through
St. Thomas, and white settlers do not flock to it.
T he population of 25,000 consists mostly of negroes,
and the plantation owners are largely Englishmen,
whose language prevails in the island. T he capital
is Christianstaed, at the head of an inlet on the north
coast which admits vessels of moderate draught. Its
white, pink, and yellow houses, with red or purple
tiles, give it a picturesque appearance from the outside,
but on close inspection they seem rather shabby
and dirty. The streets are unpaved, and the cabins
of the negroes are mostly flimsy structures, but in
the country around there are good roads lined with
palm, tamarind, and mango trees, and leading
through luxuriant gardens and plantations out to
the wooded heights. T he English name of the
town is Basin, or Bassin, which seems to be a perversion
of Basse End.
T h e only other place of importance is Frederick-
staed on the west coast, popularly called “ West
E n d .” I t is on an open roadstead and accessible
only to small c ra ft; but it is also in the foreground
of rich plantations and verdant and flowery fields.
This place was attacked and burned at the time of
the insurrection of blacks in 1878, which was caused
by the hard conditions under which they were bound
to labour by yearly contracts after emancipation.
T h e trade of Santa Cruz, always confined to sugar,
molasses, and rum, has declined, and it is much less
flourishing than formerly. T he governor of the
Danish colony resides at Christianstaed half the
year and at St. Thomas the other half, and his
presence and that of two small garrisons, one at
Basse End and the other at West End, are about
the only reminders of the Danish mother country.