Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1881-04-07
A NEGRO PARADISE.
An Island of Rock Covered With Flowers and
Hanny Africans.

| An Island of Rock Covered With Flowers and
Happy Africans.
Nassau IN. P.) Correspondence of the Boston
Herald
Right out of the sea, four hundred and
fifty miles from the Florida coast, rises a
huge rock, twenty-five miles long by seven
miles wide. It is the smallest Of the Bahama
| Islands and is called New Providence.
1t is the second place where Columbus
landed on his voyage to the Western world
and the only town of note in the Bahamas
marks the spot ~ Nassau even at this sea
son nestles ir a wilderness of flowers, plants
and fruits. There is not tree, shrub OF
| flower that thrives in any warm climate that
does not grow luxuriantly there. I said it
was rock upon which these beauties grow
and blossom, and over which never end
| ing summer breeze blows the seeds of
health bv tempering the warmth of tropi-
Cal sun until it strikes happy medium
where all season is summer and mankind
basks in an atmosphere practically invari-
able twelve months in the year, and trees.
shrubs and flowers thrive in chaotic profu-
sion all the year round. How contrary this
is to what is known of nature in the frost
land and yet how crudelv true of what is
seen here every hour in the year.
The ocean threw up this mighty rock
when nature played with hills to show her
curious strength and greatness over men. ~
1t is calcareous rock of coral, soft and
pliable to the mechanics hand. filed with
shells and sand and spit upon by the ocean
until cemented with its brine. The surface
IN places rots, forms thin soil and in this,
and wherever crack or crevice is found,
the gayest flowers bloom. There is not a
bit of fancy in this. 1t is the truth homely
told. To describe its inhabitants would he
to parade before you mass of colored
men, women and children, cheaply but
neatly dressed, barefooted and bonnetless,
but happy, polite. Out of a population of
Is, 900 more than II, 900 are negroes and un-
usually intelligent. Shining out from this
darkness is now and then native white
face, intelligent and healthy, and at this
season numbers of foreign faces, which
look as if in search of health. The houses
are as neat as the people and all Of them
are smothered in flowers and shrubbery.
In almost every yard, as we'll as growing
wild, are cocoanuts, oranges, guaves,
sofadillos, mangoes and all sorts of fruit
hang, in all stages-bud, blossom, half
grown and the matured fruit. The drives
over the town and through the island are
superb, smooth as floor and of solid rock,
lined on either sides with tangled sweeping
vines, stunted tress and Towering plants.
The oleander towers its high head among
the more pretentious tropical plants, while
our own modest morning glory, so dear
to our childhood, peeps out from behind.the
leaves with the dew resting upon its purple
lips to be kissed away by the morning sun.
No tongue can tell nor pen write of the
beauties, either of land or sea, which are
everywhere visible. The island makes q
beautiful picture as you approach it from
the ocean, rising as it does from the wat
er's edge by gradual incline to the height
of 200 or 800 feet, every foot of the way up
showing the tropical plants, flowers and
fruits at their best.
The climate and surroundings are as near
perfection as one ought to expect to find
upon this earth; The surface Of the island
is 70 ling and what soil there is is very rich.
The bulk of vegetation seems to spring
from the solid rock and actually does from
the cracks and crevices. Wherever room is
found root creeps in and the lime in the
stone feeds it. This lack of soil and the
necessity of removing solid stone to aid veg
citation prevents much cultivation of the
soil, and there are very few vegetables
grown in a climate especially adapted to
their production. Fruits are the principle
staples and upon these the natives live to a
very great extent All tropical varieties
grow in abundance and are remarkably rich
and nutritious. Every variety Of fish is
taken in abundance and enters very largely
into the domestic economy Of the natives.
The chief industry of the island is sponge
gathering.