Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-04-12
Letter from the Bahamas.

/ =
Mass, to his brothers in this place. Mr..
Bartlett is spending the winter at Nassau,
the capital of the Bahama Islands:
"NAssAU, Feb. Is, 1861.
We came in sight Of Nassau about two
o'clock P. NJ, on Sunday, and at three
and a half dropped anchor about two hun
derd rods from the shore.
The scene from the deck was, to me at
least, exceedingly beautiful, and remind
ed me Of scenes described IN the old
world.
You could sec al a distance Da tall CO.
Goa nut trees, perfectly straight, with
broad leaves like palm leaf-alSS some
palms and sapadlloes, but we could not
distinguish the difference on board the
steamer. The quaint houses of the ma
tives, with numerous beautiful groves Of
lemon and orange trees, now loaded With
ripe yellow fruit, fill up the picture
The town is quite different in appearance
from most New England towns, the bull
ding5 being mostly Of stone Of & light
r coral color, with no chimney, and Of a
very ancient style of architecture, with
a vast deal of shrubbery all about them,
1t was so beautiful and so novel that we
could with difficulty realize it was not a
picture.
BY the time the steamer was fairly at
q stand-still, crowd Of the natives, real
genuine darkies, came along side TO take
us ashore in their boats. The landlords
of the various hotels came on board to
take our names, and we witnessed about
the some strife here as at Boston or New
York. Fourteen of US CAME to this
house, the johnson House, where we are
very pleasantly situated Most Of the
strangers stopped at this place, and we
have very pleasant society of Ameri-
= cans. All Americans are friends here,
and we really feel aboutas much at home
in Nassau as in Roxbury, though we
have only been here one week.
Nassau is beautifully situated on the
island Of New Providence, one of the
: Bahama group, has about 1000 inhabit-
- ants, and is one of the finest places in the
world fora summer retreat The island
i. twenty-one miles in length ana eight
= in width. 1t contains population oI
b about 10000, 5000 of whom are black
or colored and we're once slaves, but have
E been set at liberty by the British Gov
eminent, to which this island belongs
They now enjoy the same privileges as
, the whites. You can hire them for a
: shilling day. The principal exports of
the island are sponge and shell which tie
natives sell for what they can get.
C The great husiness. and thu souroo o.
the most profit to the inhabitants, is the
daring and hardy employment of wreck
ing. There are three hundred wrecking
schooners and boats, duly licensed and
giving employment to $500 persons.
The English people here are very kind
and hospltable, as they expect this will
t some day be great resort for invalids in
= winter. There are about one hundred
Americans here this winter, some for
4 pleasure, others for health.
. The climate is delightful at this sen On,
but too warm for a New Euglaa.cr IN
summer. They call it about like our Ju-
ly weather here now, but it seems warm
+ er to me. We have all the tropical fruits
.. here, and most Of them very good. We
- car sit at our windows ana see more or
= anges and lemons on the trees, NICE and
ripe, than there were flowers in F.'s gar
den last season. The lemons are quite
j useless as they do not pretend TO gather
them. Lemon trees are about the size OF
the common apple tree. Pine apples
= will be ripe in April and May. Ban
It anas arc ripe the year round; and we
have these, together with those have
mentioned, and various other kinds Of
+ fruit which never saw before, in ubun-
dance. l have not ye; learned the names
Of many kinds we have on our table ev-
G cry day for breakfast and dinner. Peo-
pie here never think Of getting breakfast
or dinner without fruit. Flowers, too
are very abundant, and our choice green
house plants grow wild and the whole air
is Glled with their fragrance,
, My health is improving here, and l
; like much. ] eat ali the fruit choose,
and it does me good. There is a bath
lug house connected with cur hotel where
, We battle every day in salt water.
There are a number of fine churches
in town. Some Of the natives seem per.
fectly ignorant, others appear quite intel
ligent and have property. The houses
look very odd without chimneys, but they