Life and adventure in the West Indies : a sequel to Adventures in search of a living in Spanish-America / by "Vaquero".

  • Vaquero, pseud.
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Life and adventure in the West Indies : a sequel to Adventures in search of a living in Spanish-America / by "Vaquero". Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    strong negro woman was walking at the same pace as myself, either just in front or behind, swinging along with a man’s easy stride at the rate of four miles in the hour while carrying a load on her head. I hardly arrived at Moneague in time to avoid the heat, and continued the journey from there to Ewarton in a buggy, which is generally sent to meet the train. On reaching Linstead I stopped to make an arrangement with the doctor about renting his house by the month, and then returned to Kingston in a satisfied frame of mind at having so soon completed my arrangements. Before settling down in my new location it was necessary to buy a fair assortment of the more generally used medicines which every doctor must keep in remote places, where there is either no drug-store or only one of an inferior description. This was a great strain on my slender resources, as the expenditure of about ten pounds was hardly sufficient to supply me with the required minimum. In a few days all was ready, but on informing the Superintending Medical Officer that I had made pieparations for settling in Gayle, he had most unwelcome news for me. An English doctor who had come to Jamaica for the sake of his health was also thinking of practising in Gayle and was even now inspecting the locality. This indeed was a misfortune so serious that it was hard to know what to do ; but as all my preparations had been made I thought it would be better to carry them out, so returning to Gayle in heavy travelling order with my medicines, I took possession of the doctor's house which I had lented by the month. Here I spent a few days, which would have been pleasant except for the anxiety caused by not knowing what the intentions of the other medical man were, and I even had one or two patients, when the wife of the owner of the house drove up un- expectedly m a buggy. She explained that she had come in the place of her husband, who had no time for the journey, to say that ie English doctor had made them a better offer for the house than the pnce which I had arranged to pay, and that, although they were quite willing to allow me to remain in possession until the end of the tenant S10U C *1611 *iave to vacate tlie premises in favour of the new The worst had happened. The new doctor had not only made un Ins mind to practise in Gayle, but had also caused me to be turned offi by outbiddmg me for the house. 1 briefly made up my mind that E t 6 mt1C\bette!;t0 l6aVethe house at °nce, for who could have eave so s^? flflT f “mfortab1^ knowing that he would have to r * ?i ‘ After,maklng several inquiries about a suitable lodgine Thirki’ndlvSmf? ‘° !lVe W,tl\a family iust outside the little town! f y .116 lave the use of an outhouse for my dispensary * so 'hat. m r.T three Clays’ time ! was apparently settled down just is if ledgeLu S'1 although my mind was ill at ease from the know- h t u g°mg to have the opposition of a man who was better bourtf aTy C?U]d aff0,tl t0 ''’ait- The other doctor had now country dldnctsa'and buS®'-,'h;ch “deed are almost indispensable in I had no monev m ZfL ad™rllsmE h!mself driving about, while victory would have -XTf- e' Nothing but an absolute seemed hilt ISL bee sufficient in such a poor place, so it mnon prudence to give up the unequal contest before