Bloomington High School - Aepix Yearbook (Bloomington, IL)

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20 THE AEGIS A CRUISE IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA . Hicsrna Mrznwizv Leaving New York p lt was a cold, bleak February day in 1917 when we steamed out of New York harbor, on the good steamship Pastores, bound for the southern seas. There was a sharp, biting wind that seemed to pierce to the very marrow of my bone and everyone on board was bundled up in fur coats. l leaned over the railing, looking down at the cold, grey water with huge blocks of ice floating on it, and I shivered as I thought of a possible submarine experience and how horrible it would be to end one 's life in such a sea. Jamaica All passengers in the dining room for the doctor. This was our morn- ing awakening when we landed in port. It seemed foolish to me and a waste of time that we had to go through this silly performance before we were allowed to land. Not that I objected to being examined,-the doctor didn 't even look at our tongues, but it was the unearthly hour at which we were called,-Six 0'clock! On this particular morning I woke with the particular feeling that l wished I had a particular something to throw at the particular steward who called me. However, why grumble on such a wonderful morning? It had now been almost two weeks since we had left dismal New York towering in its greatness, black against the sky, and the cold grey water had given place to the clear blue waters of the Caribbean, dotted with its group of fairy islands of feathery verdure. The air was sweet and balmy and the sun shown brightly. Suddenly I remembered that we were in port,-I had for- gotten for the moment where we were. I jumped out of bed and ran over to the window and looked out. VVe were in the beautiful little harbor of Port Antonio, Jamaica. lt was lovely to behold with the surf rolling in, dashing up sprayg the lovely green rolling hills covered with palms and tropical plants, and the mountains in the background not snowpeaked as our Rockies, but enveloped in soft, fleecy clouds. There were no piers to mar the shore lille and no large factories or smoke to dim the clear atmosphere but here and there among the hills were sprinkled tiny thatched dwellings. All this added to its charm and it seemed to me that I could have stood for hours looking at it. A few minutes later when I reached the deck, everyone was leaning over the railing and laughing. Down in the water there were scores of black Jamaican boys diving for coins. They were shrewd fellows and knew from ex- perience, that if they refused to dive for a three-pence they were sure to get more. It was too funny to see them go after the money. The minute a eoin struck the water, all that you could see were black, shiny legs and when the upper portion of their bodies did appear there was always a gleaming tri- umphant face. I noticed one thing particularly, they never fought for the

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THE AEGIS 19 This, is the history of the name of our annual book, published under the guardianship of the Goddess of Wisdom. lt records, as a Judgment Book, the tales of your deeds and misdeeds. However, we sincerely hope that, although this book naturally surpasses all others in quality, wit, and beauty, you may not be turned to stone upon beholding it in all its splendor. A TRIBUTE BIARII-I N1i4:RoA1x'i'H AND IJITCILE G11,1,1-:sP11-: In our wish for this new High School NVe are fully gratified, NVe have everything we yearned for, We are now quite satisfied. And our hearts are filled with gladness As for this, our school, we cheer. Let us all join in to praise her, Our 11ew High School so dear. NVQ are 011 the road to honor, On the road that leads to fame. Oh! that all will take advantage And win for this sehool a name. But in looki11g toward the future May we always bear in mind, How the old school did befriend us, The sehool we leave behind. L'ENVOY CWith apologies to Mr. Kiplingj Lois CASEY NVhen all my lessons are over, And my peir is rusted and dried, When the old school house is deserted, And the Juniors and Seniors have died, I shall rhyme-and faith I 'll enjoy it,- I'll rhyme for an aeon or two, 'Till Dame Fortune, or some other goddess, Shall set me a task anew.

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THE AEGIS 21 money. They seemed to have formed a kind of partnership and as soon as their cheeks were bulging with coins they always deposited their earnings with one of the rowers in the boat. All of a sudden I heard a terrible noise and screaming on deck and before I knew it one of those wiry little apes was climbing up the railing at my side. In a flash he was over the railing again and in the water below, grinning up at the sailor who was shaking a broom at him menacingly. For a shilling sev- eral of the boys offered to dive from the hurricane deck, some forty or forty- five feet from the water, and we had a. fine exhibition of high diving. After we finished breakfast all of the passengers, who were going to get off, assembled on deck to have their passports approved. We spent all of that morning motoring over the island never ceasing to wonder at the things we saw. We passed mile after mile of cocoanut, bread- fruit, royal and date palms. The eocoanut palms were simply loaded with cocoanuts. I learned that there were over fifty different kinds of palms on the island. Everything was green with luxuriant vcrdure and the gorgeous color- ings of the tropical plants, flowers and vines were startling in their splendor. Even the yards of the poorest seemed like gardens. Nothing has to be cared for there, things just grow wild. I could not find a spot that looked scrubby or bare. In Jamaica it rains practically every day, so there is no chance for the plants to get dry or dusty. Our chauffeur told us that during their last rainy season in October, a lake was formed over a hundred feet deep, by the rain pouring down the mountain side. All of the houses in the mountains were little huts woven out of laths of bamboo and the roofs were thatched. Once in a while we turned in on some road that led along one side of a mountain and then we could see thousands of feet, down into beautiful, green valleys with their odd little houses perched high on the mountain sides. One tenth of the population of Jamaica are whites and the rest are Jamai- cans Cblacksj and Coolies fHind0osl whom the English have imported from East India, to work. They are a very proud race and do not mingle with the Jamaieans. Certainly the mutilated faces of some of them attest the enmity between them and the native race. However, for the most part, these swarthy people have fine features and faces. They also dress very differently. The men wear large, white turbans and soft white robe-like costumes reaching to their knees. The women and children wear bright colors and their skirts are full and covered with designs or stripes of color. The coolies make wonderful jewelry by melting coins and then molding and pounding them into the desired shape, and carving strange figures and designs on them. They, themselves, are covered with this jewelry, consisting of nose rings, ear rings, neck rings, ankle rings, chains, finger rings, and brace- lets. Their ear rings were a subject of constant Wonder and admiration, being very beautifully and delicately worked out and very large. You can buy eoolie jewelry in the shops and once I priced a pair of these ear rings. They were sixty dollars.