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Show 26 ST; THOMAS AND TORTOLA. infested the Virgin islands. The town is neatly built on three hills, running in a parallel line at the northern, or inland extremity of the bay ; and these are surmounted by picturesque conical mountains; cornposed (I believe) of primitive rock, and covered with brushwood. One would have supposed that when once a vessel has entered this harbor it rnnst needs be in perfect security; but this is far from being always the case. During the fearful hurricane which visited St. Thomas, in the Eighth month of 18:~7, a large number of vessels in it were either sunk or stranded. The loss of life and property, on that afflicting occa. sian, was very considerable. We were kindly welcomed, on our landing, by some friends of ours, who have a temporary residence in the place, and were provided with good accommoda· tion at a large boarding house, much frequented by the merchants of the town. The approach of a great ball, about to be given in the house, soon drove us into a more secluded abode; but quiet was not then to be found in St. Thomas. It was the negro Satur· nalia, the slaves being allowed a perfect liberty, from "Christmas" to New Year's day, to drum, fiddle, dance, and sing, to the utmost extent of their wishes. The evil genius of slavery seemed now to have as· sumed the form of a merry-andrew, and we thought that the dissipation could not fail to be as unprofit· able to the negroes, as the din was disagreeable to ourse)ves. However, we dared not judge them-we knew it was their only holiday. This island is at once pictureSC]Ue and barren. The few sugar estates which it contains are of an inferior ST. THOMAS AND TORTOU\. 27 description, and almost the whole population, amounting, as we understood, to about 11,000, are concentrated in the town. Populous as is the town, it contains only one Protestant place of worship-of very moderate size-used on the First day of the wr,ek, by the Danish Lutheran, and Dutch Reform churches in succession. By the kind permission of the Dutch Reform pastor, and with the consent of the Governor, Major Oxholm, we held in this building our public meeting for worship. The respectability and attention of the congregation, afforded us an evidence, that even in St. Thomas there are more than a few persons, who think and feel seriously on matters of the highest importanct'. But we greatly fear that among the traffickers of many nations, and the confusion of many tongues in this little Western Tyre, the pursuits of religion are generally forgotten. Merchandise by day, and gaiety by night, seemed chiefly to engross the attention of the residents. Nor could we hear any favorable accounts of the moral condition of the black and colored population. There are but few married couples among them-loose and low habits appear to be general. No one can aver that slavery in St. Thomas is attended by any one advantage, temporal, ci vii, moral, or spiritual. We called one evening at the Moravian establishment which lies about two miles to the westward of the town, and exchanged kind looks with the German brother, with whom we were unable to converse .in his own language. The religious influence of the Moravians in the Danish islands, although to a certain extent decidedly beneficial, is considerably diminished |