The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-11-13
Life i'm the Bahamas.

AS a class, the negroes, of the Bahamas
are far more superstitious than religious.
They are great towards ut night, shut
ting up their cabins tight as a drum to
keep out the wandering powers of dark
ness, and their belief in fetichisp is almost
incredible. The obeah men drive thriv-
ing business, and ii is seldom sponging
boat goes to sea without first enlisting the
valuable aid of the man-witch or warlock
They are said TO be lazy, and certainly
they seem to take life very easily, lying
on the ground sometimes for hours under
the full blaze of the MONDAY sun, chew
ing the end OF sugar-cane, or brawlng
in grandiloquent and often meanin oless
rodomontade at the street corners. But
there Is little need of eXertion when il
takes so little TO supply their immediate
wants. The pastoral of one of the ritual
istie priests, giving directions for the obser-
vance of Lent. created inextinguishable
laughter" in Nassau last spring for among
other follies he forbade the eating of
sugar. As sugar-cane forms the staple ar
ticle Of food with the negroes, "A strict OBJ
servance OF his directions would have been
followed by lamentable results. But
think the charge of laZiness untounded, if
one but considers the severe labor the ne
groes often accomplish, as. for example. in
the sponge fisheries, which gives employ
mcnt TO the owners and crews of five hun
dred licensed craft often To twenty-five tons
burden, and is carried on with some risk
from the weather, and much hardship,
for the spongcs are two or three fathonIs
below the surface, and must be torn
from the rocks with hooks attached To long
poles. The position of the sponges is as
certained by means OF a water-glasS, which
.~s,,,
at the upper end. and containing pane OF
glass at the other; on holding this per-
pendicularly over the water one can see
everything through il as clearly as in an
aquarium-iish, sponges, coral. or shells
The Bahama sponges are chiefly of four
sorts, sheep-wool. which is the most val
liable, rect. velvet and glove. and although
inferior TO the finest Mediterranean
sponges. are very strong, and serviceable
for washing carriages, surgery and the
like. The sponge boats usually get in on
and the spoAges are assorted in
the markets. each boat-load and variety by
itself. On Monday they are disposed of
at auction. only members of the sponge
guild and those making genuine offers be-
ing permitted to bid, which is done by
written tenders.
Wrecking is another branch of business
Tor which the Bahamas have long been Ia
nous, owing to their intricate navigation.
At one time this was very lucrative, but ii
has been falling off of late years. Form
erly everything saved from wreck was
sold at auction In Nassau now all goods !
not of a perishable nature, and undam-
aged, are reshipped to the port of destina- |
ton. Collision between ship-masters and
the pilots was also frequent, but increased
vigilance on the part of the insurance
has interfered with this nefa-
rious business, while the numerous light |
houses recently erected by the Govern
nent, with noble seli-sacrfice. have oper-
ated in the same direction. The uncer-
iainties attending money-making in this |
precarlous way have their effect on the |
character of the people, as is the ease when |
he element of chance enters largely into |
business the prizes in the lottery are few,
Dut are occasionally SO large as To excite
undue expectations, and thus unfit many |
or any pursuit more steady but less tx-
,iting. For months they will cruise about,
and hoping. and barely kept |
live on scant supply Of sugar-cane and
,onchs; then they fail i'm with wreck,
md make enough from it, perhaps, to
Keep them going another year. Ii Is not
healthy or desirable state of affairs
HI ,.ner Ia. Nars,nber