Facts About Martinique.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 28, 10 July 1902, Page 3

Facts About Martinique.

The island of Martinique, whose principal city, St. Pierre, was utterly destroyed by the volcanic eruption on Thursday, May 8 is one of the French West India Islands, Windward group The volcanic mountain whose eruption proved the destruction of St. Fierre was the island's loftiest summit, being 4,450 feet hieh Martinique (says the Sacred Heart Meview) is of irreeular form*. high and rocky, about 45 miles long, and 10 to 15 miles broad Its area is 380 equare miles. There are six volcanoes on the island Extensive masses of volcanic rocks cover the interior, rise to a great elevation, and extend from the mountains to the shores of the sea where they form numerous deep indentions along the coast Botween the volcanic rooks occur broad, irregular valleys of great fertility. The mountain-slopes are in many parts oovered with primeval forest. Numerous streams flow from the heights, most of them mere rivulets. It has several good harbors, the best of which is Port Royal on the southwest side of the island. St. Pierre was on the northwest side. Politically, the island is a French coloDy, and is under a governor and municipal councils with elected general council. It is divided into 32 communes. Id ia represented in the French parliament by a senator and two deputies. The island has had a varied political history Ifc was discovered by the Spaniards in 1493. It was settled by the French in 1G35, was taken by the British in 1 794, and restored to France in 1802. Again taken by the British in 1809, it was restored a second time to France at the cloeeof the war of 1814. Though St Pierra was the principal commercial centre, it was not the seat of government. Fort de France is the capital. In this town there is a law school with 76 etudents ; 3 secondary schools with 487 pupils ; a normal echool ; 38 primary schools with 10 304 pupils ; also 13 clerical and private schools. The population of Martinique in 1895 was 187,692 (90,373 males and 97,319 females) with a floating population of 1,907. Only 1,307 out of this population were born in France. Sugar, coffee, cacao, tobacco, and cotton are the chief culture. Martinique was the birthplace of Empress Josephine, Napoleon's wife. Her statue stood in St. Pierre, and her memory was cherished by the inhabitants of that doomed city. Protestant writers describing Martinique have been naturally much annoyed at the Catholicity of the inhabitants, and habits of devotion and piety, misunderstood by the Protestant mind, have been set down aa unadulterated idolatry. That Martinique, before the recent catastrophe, was the most interesting of the West Indian islands, is attested by a Protestant writer in the New York Observer, who says: — ' Martinique, however, contrasted favorably with the islands belonging to Great Britain. The people had an air of thrift and self-respect, which found expression in the cleanliness, dress and taste displayed in their streets, houses and costumes. There w»s none of the abject poverty and beggary which met one at every torn in the English islands.'