Henry J. Neils’
Travelogue of 1959 Great World Cruise
Henry J. Neils was a businessman from Minneapolis. He wrote a daily diary of his voyage on the 1959 Great World cruise. Presumably, the 30 faded typewritten sheets had been duplicated for distribution to his employees.
The transcribed document now forms 25 pages of the Timeline, accessible from links on the January, February, March and April 1959 month pages. This was the first special feature to be added to the Timeline as it entered its 2nd year of being on-line.
Henry's quoted text throughout the site start with this indicator: H.J.N.…
Henry J Neils’ Travelogue 24 January 1959
Curaçao
H.J.N.…
The Caronia arrived in the harbour at 8.30am, made fast at the Shell Oil Company refuelling station, and by 9.30am the
passengers were permitted to go ashore. A long floating walkway connected the oil dock and the shore.
It was fascinating to watch the process of securing the ship. Twelve lines from bow and stern held the ship in position. Two of these anchored under water and remaining as part of the harbour installation were at least four inches in diameter. It took two husky men to lift only a short section of such line.
Curaçao is one of the Netherland Antilles. It is thirty-six miles long and up to seven miles wide, with a population of 120,000. The island is barren, only a few shrubs and cacti growing wild in the country. In Willemstad, the capital, cultivated plants, flowers and trees grow profusely.
[Right:]
Murderer Street, Curaçao from old postcard
H.J.N.…
The population has a decidedly Dutch flavour with, here and there, a little colour thrown in. Integration is complete,
after about 400 years. The women are particularly attractive, some with blond hair and tall, showing very little trace
of Negro.
Others are naturally quite dark, but lack the characteristics of our American Negro. The men vary in stature and shade of skin from the almost pure, tall, husky, Dutch strain to the smaller Spanish and Portuguese influence.
H.J.N.…
The yellow buildings, with their red tile roofs, look like a scene taken out of a movie set. The Queen Emma Bridge,
a floating pontoon that connects the Punda and Otrobanda quarters of Willemstad is the only one of its kind in the
World.
Photo: Peter Stevens
One end of this vehicle and pedestrian bridge is hinged to shore, the other end has an electric winch which draws on a cable to either open or close the bridge. Sometimes, when a large ship goes through the canal, the bridge is open for forty minutes. Then the cars are lined up for a mile or more. What patience these Dutch have!
The ships carry goods from all over the World. Jewellery, watches, binoculars and cameras can be purchased cheaper here than in many places of their origin. There are no duties of any kind! Taxes on income are 3%. What a place to retire to?
There are many interesting and historical buildings, but the Curaçao Intercontinental Hotel has the most gorgeous site. It is the old harbour fortress being restored with its cannon emplacements. The hotel is modern and built upon the old fortress.
It has the sea breeze blowing constantly over its broad exposure on one side, and the quiet harbour for fishing boats on the other. It has a beautiful swimming pool. A fascinating place difficult to describe.
Photo: Peter Stevens
H.J.N.…
At 4.30pm all passengers were to be aboard, but three of them got tied up in traffic when
the bridge was closed. They arrived fifteen minutes late, but Caronia waited. She still
sailed at 5.00pm precisely.
Again, it was a fascinating sight to see how methodically the lines were released - one bow, one stern until finally the two landlines were released, and the good ship slowly but surely started moving out of the harbour for the open sea where I hope I got a good picture, a sunset on the Caribbean Sea.