, 1880-03-15
Nassau.

out knowing what is going on in the
world. The steamer that is to bring
us news from home is now on her fourth
day out of New York, but it is not due
here till the day after New Years.
This is really q charming place,
and the days slip away in q pleasant
sort of idle way that grows upon one.
The climate is certainly perfect. The
air, as it now blows in on me as write,
| is delicious. The thermometer in my
room stands at seventy four degrees at
| Z A. n, and rises to seventy SIX degrees
at noon, with unfailing regularity. L
intended to keep memoranda OF the
temperature, but it seems really use
less. DR.. F. says that there is
sometimes norther," when the mer-
curry will go down to sixty-fve degrees,
and one will wish to close the doors
and windows. A light blanket on my
sun is often rather too warm for walk
ing, but never for driving or sitting on
the piazza. 1 have enjoyed driving
very much, everything being new and
interesting. We have had three rains
since have been here, quick. summer
like rains, but the soil is so porous the
water soon disappears.
In speaking of the climate forgot
to say that many seem to think it very
damp. It does not seem to me SO.
observe that people, especially stran-
gers and invallds, are careful not to be
very much in the night air. DR.. F.
says that he does not think the climate
better than some others for rheuma-
tism, but for all nervous troubles and
for affections of the throat and lungs
he thinks it unsurpassed.
Our rooms look north over the har-
Dor. above which we are at an elevation
of from 80 to 100 feet. We have a
beautiful view of the harbor, as well
as of the town below us. The harbor
is formed on the north by narrow
island called Kog Island. beyond
which we have full view of the sea,
deeply blue with its white caps, and
sometimes of the surf breaking in
spray that rises far above the island.
Inside the harbor the water is of the
most beautiful colors imaginable-em-
erald, blue, purple - changing con-
stantly. l never saw anything like its
cIearness. At the wharf the little
boats seem floating in air. You can see
the bottom almost as we'll as if you
looked through air instead of water.
We sailed the other day out to the
famous " sea- garden" 1t is curious to
ferns and feathery sea weeds gently
waving to and fro, the sponges, coral
and shells on the white sand, with bril-
liant little fish swimming among them.
| Divers are ready to bring up anything
you ask for.
The vegetation here is beautiful; but
if we at home had this climate l think
we should have finer flowers and more
abundant vegetables. Certainly, they
could have every kind of nice vegeta-
bles. But do not think there is on
the island anything you could dignity
with the name of market gardening.
After seeing the people, I almost won
der they have anything. 1 think
darky woman would sit all day on the
street with three or four short pieces
of sugar cane and half dozen oranges
to sell.
Oranges are very abundant and
cheap. They are quoted at Sc per thou
sand. We pay cent a piece. Lemons
lie on the ground as if not worth pick
ing. 1 have never seen one used ; but
occasionally lime is used. Bananas
are very cheap. We bought bunch
for sixty cents-too many to count
but so heavy that Henry could hardly
get it up stairs 1t is now too late for
pineapples. Those we had for day or
two after we came were delicious. The
sapodilla grows on a tree like pear
tree. 1t looks somewhat like potato,
but is shaped like peach. 1t is sweet
and tasteless. The sour sap and Jelly
cocoanut have not yet tested. The
mango, which ripens only in the sum-
mer, is spoken of as delicious.
OF vegetables we have peas, beets,
beans, cucumbers, new potatoes, sweet
potatoes, plantains, yams and bread
fruit, but these are not all plentiful.
have said the vegetation was very
fine. l think it must feed largely on
air, for the island seems nothing but
rock. It would be much benefited
10y a few feet of our rich Western
dirt. The famous silk cotton tree-the
largest tree ever saw-grows, as DIR.
F. says, in about three inches of
soil The cocoa palms here are. much
more beautiful than the cabbage palms
I saw in Florida; and the royal African
palm-of which have only seen two
on the islands much more beautiful
than either. Great poinsettias hang
over the high walls of the winding
streets-a dazzling blaze of color.
In the yard back of our house are CO.
coanut palms, with blossoms and fruit
in all stages. There is also abeautiful,
large India rubber tree; orange, lemon
and lime trees; almonds, bananas, sago.
pimento, croton, cayenne pepper, poin-
settia, caladiums, gardenias, roses,