St. Andrews Island by S. PARKER SMITH

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 24, 1902

St. Andrews Island

By S. PARKER SMITH

S. PARKER SMITH

St. Andrews is a small island, about seven miles long and three miles wide. The land is mostly low, with a ridge a few hundred feet high about half the length of the island. The whole is covered with tropical vegetation, consisting chiefly of cocoanut trees. The nuts from these trees constitute the chief wealth of the island. Tropical fruits, such as oranges, limes, mangoes, plantain, bananas, breadfruit, papaws, and such vegetables as yams, cassava, cocos, and sweet potatoes are produced in abundance. There are also pumpkins, squashes, watermelons, corn, beans, tomatoes, etc.

The people vary in color, from white to black, the latter predominating. Very few know any trade. There are a few carpenters, but scarcely one who can be called good. Pulling, husking, and the “droaging” cocoanuts constitute the only trades with which the young men are familiar. Starch making is carried on to quite an extent, but in a crude way, and chiefly by the women. The cassava root supplies the starch, and cassava-grating “bees” are quite common in the dry season. These are occasions of much sport for the youth, as the “trash” left after the starch is washed out is used to throw at one another and unlucky passers-by.

The people have an idea that every kind of living thing was made to eat, and so live mostly on fish, pork, turtles, crabs, and lizards. The few vegetables they eat, such as cassava and potatoes, are coarse and fibrous. No attention is paid to gardening. Plantain is eaten green. Oranges, which are abundant and of the finest quality, are not eaten, as they are believed to cause malaria. Few of the natives have the remotest conception of physiology or hygiene and the proper habits of living. For treating disease, drugs, “bush” medicine, and magic are the chief agencies employed. Water, especially if warmed, is regarded very dangerous. However, we have given a few sweats and foot baths, with gratifying results, and many are beginning to see the advantages of the water treatment.

The language is a nondescript, neither Spanish nor English, though it approaches the latter. The children know few words, and have few ideas. They will not say much to a stranger who speaks good English.

The way the women wash clothes is interesting, but does them no credit as good housekeepers. They are frequently seen standing waist-deep in stagnant, malarious pools of water left from the rainy season, with a bundle of clothes, doing their washing. As the pieces are washed, they are placed on the head, which serves as a clothes basket. The clothes are not rubbed on a board, but beaten with a paddle on some flat rock. To vary the process, they gather a bundle of garments by one end, and smite the rock furiously, sending buttons, bits of cloth, soapsuds, and doubtless some dirt, flying in all directions.

Nearly all agricultural operations are performed with the machete. Every man has one of these, even though he has nothing else. Traveling and transportation on land are accomplished slowly by means of horses and pack saddles. There are no roads,—only paths,—no carriages, no wagons. Much traffic is carried on by water in small sailboats and dories.

Altogether, the island itself is a beautiful, healthy location, and a fine place in which to live; but dishonesty, immorality, and all the last-day sins abound; yet the people are no more hopeless, from the standpoint of salvation, than are those of other and larger fields.

When I returned from Bocas del Toro, where I went at the time of Brother Eccles’s sickness and death, we found the house which we were to occupy about half finished, and the repairs and painting waiting their turn on the school building. So it was about four weeks later before school was opened again. Our house is neat and comfortable, and the schoolhouse has been put in first-class order. The gentleman who owns the building is very earnest over the school work, and untiring in his efforts to make it a success. I hope to see him take his stand publicly for the truth. He donates the rent of our house, and nearly always refunds a good percentage of the rent of the other building, which is only eight dollars a month, Colombian money. The school numbers thirty-six at present, and will probably soon number between forty and fifty, as others are expected in a short time. The children do remarkably well, considering their parentage and environment. One of them has decided to be on the Lord’s side, and studies his Sabbath-school lesson and bears his testimony better than many of the older ones.

The company here now numbers fourteen, besides ourselves, and with the exception of a few difficult cases, is making advancement spiritually. Two are canvassing, and have been much blessed. We expect others also to engage in this work. There are many who are interested, and believe the truth, but are deterred from taking their stand through fear of ridicule.