The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-06
Letter from the Bahama Islands.

@NNNf ENNNf Y ~ aa 1
old adage that one half the world don't
know how the other half live, and L may
add, where they live. Until the days of
blockade running in the late American re-
belllon, little or nothing was known of
this island city by our people at the north,
and hardly a school boy could be found
who knew where Nassau was. Since then
1t has become a great winter resort for
those in health desiring a more genial win
ter cline, and a sanitarium for the invalid,
especially those afflicted with pulmonary
and chronic diseases.
After a s%ojourn of some ten days In this
land of perpetual summer, and garden of
ever blooming flowers, where all kinds of
tropical fruit trees are in constant bearing
and the air filed with the perfume of their
blossoms, l feel 1t not only a pleasure but
a duty l owe to suffering humanity TO give
you a short description of the place and
its climate. One can hardly imagine that
this Is mid winter and you are all freeziug
at home, while l am writing with all the
doors and windows open, the thermometer
at 10 and a cool, invigorsling breeze fan
ming me as it comes directly from the
broad Atlantic. All that has been written
| about this place, so far as 1 have seen and
can learn is strictly true. and l cheerfully
add my testimony TO that already recorded,
and shall feel amply repaid if it be the
means Of inducing any of my fellow NOR
tails who are suffering from almost any
disease to give this climate a fair trial.
NASSAU
The city Of Nassau, the capital of the
Bahamas, is situated on the island of New
Providence, in latitude 25 ON, longitude
ne 20m. 1t contains about ID, 900 inhab-
itants, the larger portion of whom are
blacks. The city is built upon the north
| side of the island and upon a side hill facing
the north, which gradually rises from the
sea shore to a hight of about ninety fest.
The houses are principally built of native
white stone, similar in its formation to
sandstone, but not as hard in substance.
AS they never have frosts here it is sufl
GENTLY durable for building purposes. This
same rock pounded up and mixed with sea-
weed and decayed vegetable matter forms
the soil and is capable Of producing all the
tropical fruits and most of the northern
vegetables, including potatoes, tomatoes,
onions, melons, turnips, carrots, beets,
corn, beans, cucumbers, celery, cabbages,
radishes, and many other kinds. line ap-
pies and oranges are exported from here
by the cargo.
CLIMATE
For invalids, especially those suffering
from pulmonary or chronic diseases, the
climate of the Bahamas is said to be far
preferable to any other climate in the
world. The evennes of its temperature,
the s~oftness and purity of the air, and the
cool, invigorating winds blowing directly
from the ocean, gives it q vast
advantage over most if not all other winter
resorts. The average temperature foI ten
years, for the six months including Novem-
Der and April as compiled by Surgeon
General Bagot, X. A., was 73o during
these months the mercury seldom raises
above 500 or falls below 70o. Gen.
James Watson Webb who visited Nassau
IN 1870, says of the climate Madeira is
the great sanitarium of Europe, and until
lately was considered without @ rival
throughout the world. Recently however,
Nassau has not only been proved TO be SUI
perior TO all other localities as a sanitarium
n the New World but superior also to
MADEIRA itself. From the LIST OF Novem'
Der to the LIT of June there lis not in al
probability any spot on the face of the
earth 30 desirable for persons suffering with
pulmonary complaints.
Sir Peter Bruce wrote as far back a.
1882 1.-THE Bahamas enjOy;the most serene
and temperate air IN all America, and it II
no wonder the sick fly hilher for relief"
ROYAL VICTORIA HOTEL.
This city can justly boast of the flnest
and best kept hotel IN the West Indies. i
is built upon one of the highest points o.
land on the island and commands a fin,
view of the ocean, city, harbor and sur
rounding country. 1t will accommodate
about two hundred guests.
BOATING.
The harbor is formed by Hog leland,
narrow strip of land running directly il
front of the city for a distance of abou
tour miles, affording a fine and-locket
bay for boating, fishing and bathing. Tn,
crystal clearness Of the water is truly won
derful. Coral, fish, shell and submarin'
plants can be seen on the bottom at a deptl
Of thirty or forty feet.
THE DRIVES. -
The principal carriage road some sixteeI
miles in length is situated on the north aDt
west side of the island, skirting the sea
shore, the whole distance hedged in at in
tervals by nearly all kinds of tropical frui
and Towering trees. Among them pre-
dominate the orange, lemon, banana
plantain and cocoanut. The roads are o
native stone, white, and fully equafto tn
asphalt for smoothness. Mud is unknown
here; you can walk out in twenty minute
after a heavy shower without wetting you
feet.
There is a fine public library of abou
1000 volumes, accessible to strangers upol
> the payment of a small fec.
, The people arc very kind and hospitabl
to strangers and the colored population
very civil. We paid oil due respect to tn
memory of the immortal Washington, b
celebrating his birthday. We were stump
tously entertained by four of our felloN
passengers aud fellow boarders, viz; MI
q J.. Cheever Goodwin and Mr.. Charles Jes
r sup of Boston and Messrs. Charles and An
drew ]. Rich of Buffalo. The invite
guests were Mr.. and Mrs. A. II. Vail an
Mrs. j. d. Goodwin from F~aIrhaven, Vt
Mr.. and Mrs. Alex HesSlien, Halifax, N
t s., Mr.. II. P. Dyer, Baltimore, Nd, MI
t G. Grapel, Brooklyn, N. Y, MIR. G. L
Mosely, editor Nassau Guardian, and
number of others whose names have oscar
ed my memory at this moment. le ia
: bles were literally loaded. with cakes al
o wines of nearly every description, aud dee
, GRATED with a great profusion of tropics
j flowers, fruits and American flags. Tn
. memory of Washington was drank, afte
which the health of the queen was prt