Morris tribune., 1881-02-17
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WINTER DAY AT NASSAU.

Where to Go to Escape from the Thermometer
THE Charm of an Equable Climate.
Letter from J. R. G. Hazard, of the N. Y. Trib-
une Staff
The steamer City of Austin, from New
York for Nassau, put in at Fernandina,
Florida, on Sunday forenoon, and was to
sail again at o'clock in the evening. But
a thick fog-the curse of so many Florida
health resorts-came creeping in from sea
and sealed up the harbor. 1t was Z o'clock
on Monday morning before we could get
out. ALI day we ran down the Florida coast,
on a sea SO CLASSY smoth that when a gull
few near the water the reflection looked like
another gull; and so transparent that we
could see the porpoises under water, racing
with the ship, and watch other creatures of
the deep as they rose to look at us and sank
slowly down again. Off Jupiter Inlet, in
the latitude of Lake Okechobee, we were
only mile and half from shore; but
there we changed our course and,
crossing the blue but turbulent waters
of the Gulf Stream. ran into the Northwest
Providence Channel which lies between the
Little and Great Bahama Banks. At dawn
on Wednesday morning the Island of New
Providence stretched across the Southern
horizon, and far off a gaudy little object
looking like magnifed butterfly was dane
ing to ward us on the water. This resolved
itself in time into aminute pilot boat, paint
ed a brilliant red outside and lined with an
equally brilliant Mazarin blue. 1t carried
two small leg of mutton sails, one enor-
nous fag-a blue, white and red tricolor,
larger, / believe, than the boat itself-a
white pilot and four negro oarsmen. When
the pilot had clambered aboard, the rnasts,
the canvas and the bunting were slowed
away, and we went on at half speed. towing
the boat and its crew astern.
The rising sun showed US the soft green
sloping shores of long coral island, with
the tossing plumes of the cocoanut breaking
the sky line. A narrow reef, covered with
shrubs, extended parallel with the shore, at
a distance from it of only half mile, and
almost concealed the town of Nassau
which lay behind it When we had enter
ed passage in this natural breakwater, and
rounded the lighthouse, we found ourselves
in one of the most charming little harbors
imaginable. Over the fine white coral sand
the transparent sea shone brilliant vernal
green, which many a writer has tried in
vain to describe and many an artist to
paint. can think of no tint that resembles
it, except the color of we'll grown head of
tender lettuce but it is not exactly that eth
! er, for with it there is tlnge of peacock
blue. 1t varies with the light; yet the pc
culiar green always remains, whether you
, look down into the water from the ships
! side or view it from afar. Where the char
acter of the bottom changes it is streaked
with indigo; and the distinction of color is
preserved even when the waters are tossed
! by high wind.
The white wall of coral rock which forms
the wharves was lined with an expectant
| Io 70,
| that the entire population had to come out
to look at us; but the effect of the multitude
of faces-most of them black and good
many of them displaying an expansive
| smile distinctly visible on board-was Ger
tainly tremendous. White clothing was
pleasantly diversified by straw hats and
bright kerchiefs. Here and there appear
ed the gay Zouave uniform of the Queen
1st West India reg giment of colored soldiers.
| The white houses of the town were encom-
passed with green and yellow lattices: and
Ifits3is the thick green golden
fruit blazed the huge flowers of the hibis-
Gus and the vermillion Poinsettia. The
streets were as clean as if they had been
scrubbed; everything except the tattered
and somewhat scanty raiment of the colored
people was a picture of tidiness. My first
delightful impressions of Nassau were by
I reached the cool and cheerful hotel. and
sat down at we'll served breakfast of fruit
and fresh fish.
| The chief topic of conversation with
strangers is the temperature; most of them.
in fact, have fed hither from the thermom-
eter have marked the figures of that in
strument at breakfast and dinner time Is
o'clock and q every day since my arrival.
The lowest has been 20 deg. the highest
so deg, and degrees has been the greatest
change in any one day. The nights are only
3 or degrees cooler than the days. Fog and
mist and haze are unknown, and there Is
little rain in winter except in the form of
occasional showers. 1 have seen three of
these quick, short rains-all of them in the
evening or night; before my arrival there
had been only two showers in two months.
Nobody can appreciate the charm of such
an equable climate who has not tried it.
Even the greatest heat is not felt as it would
be in the north, for it is tempered by a strong
invigorating breeze from the sea; the island
is so small that all the winds are ocean
winds; andit is not the least of the recon-
mendations of Nassau to invalids that here
the moisture which usually accompanies
sea air is not perceptible.
Come hither from the wet and frosty
north, and for week or two you will want
to do nothing but sit on the piazza and look
At the palm trees bathing their feet in the
sea. 1t was quite shock to our easy and
dreamy life when pleasure party arrived
in schooner from Key West the other 1av
| accompanied by brass band