Moonstruck in Barbados and Antigua
Recollections of Charles C. Nutting (1919) and
a little history about the region
"The moonlight evenings were simply superb. It seems to me
that I never saw such bright light from our satellite as we enjoyed at Pelican
Island. It may have been partly on account of the white sand which covered
the ground; or perhaps the moonlight really is brighter in the tropics than
at home."
C. C. Nutting
The islands of Barbados and Antigua are part of the Leeward Islands which are located in The Caribbean Islands. When searching for information on the history of either island, one is likely to come up with a huge array of tourist sites. The famous white beaches (365 white beaches in Antigua alone) and the high quality of living that Nutting and his party so enjoyed are mentioned often. The friendliness of the people of Antigua and Barbados was noted by Nutting in 1918 as it still is today. Hardworking and blessed with the joy of life, the people of this area provided Charles Nutting and the party members every possible amenity, after of course, the rumor that they were actually German spies was cleared up.
"Socially, we were the recipients of the proverbial Colonial hospitality at its best. This usually took the form of afternoon receptions and four o' clock tea." C. C. Nuttting
This sense of formality can still be felt on the islands, and proper attire is suggested on several web sites that will actually provide you with a list of suitable articles of clothing to wear both on and off the beach. While Nutting did mention that the islanders knew how to enjoy themselves through song and dance, and toasts to the King, and when in the presence of Americans, toasts to President Wilson which Nutting remarked "this made them feel fine." (Press Citizen, 8-14-1918). It may be true that it was the crew of scientists and students, mostly from Iowa, who were the most riotous in their celebrations.
"On one or two occasions we had dancing in the big laboratory room under the electric light furnished by the launch and rigged up by Greenlaw. The servants were greatly interested in these northern dances, particularly when Ricker was inspired to give a realistic reproduction of the SunDance of Arizona Native Americans which he had witnessed and in which he used the laboratory hatchet in lieu of a tomahawk, accompanied by weird howls and bodily contortions." C. C. Nutting.
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There are many informative web sites where you can find through diligent searches many other interesting things. For instance, the local dialect of Antigua is Creole and it is a major yachting center. If windmills fascinate you and you also like beaches, Barbados is second only to Holland with its numbers of windmills. At the time of the expedition however, C. C. Nutting found it very difficult to dig up any local history aside from a few local legends. "No spot in the British West Indies has richer historical interest than English Harbor, but we could not find that any detailed story of this place of innumerable traditions had ever been compiled and it seems evident that there is a rich field here for some student who enjoys digging up stories of the olden time." C. C. Nutting |
Antigua's history is as old 2400 B.C. when it was inhabited by the Siboney
people much earlier in time before both of the islands were settled by the
British colonies in the early 17th Century. It was not until the latter half
of the last century did they become independent states. Antigua is a democracy,
based on a British Parliamentary System, and is a member of the Commonwealth
Nations. Barbados has three major parties, the Barbados Labor Party, the Democratic
Labor Party and the National Democratic Party. It is interesting to
note that the constitution in Barbados is very similar to our own and was
drafted 150 years before we signed our constitution. Both islands have a 97%
literacy rate and unemployment is very low. The hard working ethic was felt
in 1918 when Nutting mentioned with admiration how all members of the community
worked together making the roads of the island.
"There is not much idleness there, and every man and woman, and many of the children, have to work more strenuously than in other islands. It strikes a stranger that, in spite of this (possibly because of it), there is a good deal of contentment and little actual want." C. C. Nutting.