Identifier: cruisingamongcar01stod (find matches)
Title: Cruising among the Caribbees, summer days in winter months
Year: 1895 (1890s)
Authors: Stoddard, Charles Augustus, 1833-1920
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, C. Scribner's sons
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ce.The town stands on a level plain and consists ofwooden houses built along wide streets crossingat right angles. The park lies near the shore, andcontains long rows of mango and tamarind trees,which bend over broad promenades. Enclosed inthis double row of trees is the Savane, and there,encircled by majestic palms, fronting the sea, butwith the face turned towards the valley whereshe was born, stands this beautiful memorial to oneof the loveliest, and noblest, and most unfortunatewomen who ever lived. The family history hasrecently been given by M. Frederic Masson in theRevue de Paris, from which the following factsare translated. Mr. Ober published essentially thesame statement, in his book upon the Caribbees. In 1726 there came to Martinique a noble ofBlaisois, named Gaspard-Joseph Tascher de laPagerie. He belonged to an ancient and formerlyvery powerful family, but when Gaspard-Josephlanded in the West Indies the fortunes of his racehad very much declined. He took good care, how-
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ISLE DE MARTINIQUE 139 ever, to have his claim to noble descent fullyestablished. His sons obtained places at Court,but the eldest preferred to live at Martinique andobtained a subaltern position in the Royal Marinesstationed at Martinique. In 1755, when a newwar had broken out between France and England,the king sent to Martinique, as governor of theWest Indian Islands, one Francois de Beauharnais,a gentleman who had held high positions in France.Exactly how it came about no one seems to know,but the Taschers, poverty-stricken and without influ-ence, managed to raise the fortunes of the familythrough their women, who established themselvesin the good graces of the new governor. M. de Taschers three daughters married well, andhis son also made a good match through M. de Beau-harnais, for Mile. Rose-Claire Des Vergers de Sanoisbelonged to one of the richest and most influentialcolonial families. Young Gaspard-Joseph provedhimself worthy of the good graces of the governor;he distinguish

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