New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-04

walls now remain,a little cracked but not beyond
repair. The aspect of the whole estate indeed is
somewhat runOus. The avenues are unkept; the
flower gardens have gone to waste; a few cbimneys
and heaps of rubbish marx the site of the aban-
doned slave cabins. But many precious trees are
left and are cared for. There are plantations OF
oranges and olives oil is made on the ground the
bay-tree. the Zig and the sage palm seem to thrive.
The recent fIosts had spoiled about $500 worth of
oranges, but had done much less injury to foliage
than at Fcrnandna. The present owner OF the
estate trying to put in order and planning the
restoration of the old house. and was told that he
meant to open sort ofhotel
The steamer City of Austin. from Ncw-lOrk for
Nassau, put in at Fernandna Oh Sunday foreaoOn,
and was to sail again at o'clock in the evening.
But thick fog-the curse of so many FLORIDA
health resorts-came creeping in from sea
and sealed up the harDor. 1t vas o'clock on
Monday morning before We could get out All
day we ran down the Florida coast, on sea so
CLASSY smooth that when gull flew near the water
the reflection looked like another gull and trans
parent that could the porpoiSes under water.
racing with the ship. and watch other creatures
of the deer as they rose to look at us and
sank slowly down again. OF Jupiter Inlet. in the
latitude of Lake Okecbobee. were only lnlie
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 Provi-
dence Channel which lies between the Little ana
Great Bahama Banks At dawn on Wednesday mOrn-
ing the island of NewProvidcnce stretched across
the southern horizon and far of gaudy little object
looking like Il magnited butterfly was dancing TO-
ward us OH the water. This resolved itself IN time
into minute pot-boat, painted Brilliant red
outside and lined with an equally brilliant Mazarln
blue 1t carried two small lcg-Of-mutton sails
ono enormous hag-.a blue. white and rcd tricOor
larger believe than the boat itset-a white pilot
and four negro oarsmen. When the pilot had clam
bcrcd aboard. the masts the canvas and the bunt-
ing were slowed away and we went on at hall
speed towing the boat and its crew astern.
The rising sun showed us the soft green sloping
shores of a long coral island, with the tossing
| plumes of the cocoanut breaking the sky line
narrow reef, covered with shrubs. extended par
! alel with the shore, at distance from 1t OF only
| half mile and almost concealed the town OF Mas
! san which Law behind IT, When had entered Il
! passage in this natural breakwater, and rounded
| the lighthouse, We found ourselves i'll one OF the
| most charming little harbors Imaginable. Over the
fine white coral sand the transparent sea Shonc
brilliant light vcrnal green, which many Il writer
has tried in vain to describe ana many an artist to
| paint | can think of no tint which resembles 1t.
except the color of a we'll grown head OF tender
cttuce but it is not exactly that either, for with
il there is tingr OF peacock blue. Ii varies with
the light; yet the peculiar green always remains.
| whether YOU look down into the wafer from the
/ ships side or view IT from aiar. here the char-
| acter Of the bottom changes. 1t is stleakcd with
| indigo; and the distinction OF color is preserved
even when the waters tossed 10y high wind.
The white wall of coral rock which forms tine
| wharyes was lined with an c>pcctant crowd. 1t
! would be an cxaggcratiOn to say that the entire
no,ulotjcu had TO come out to look ut Us: but the
effect of the multitude OF iaccs-noSt of them black
and good many of them displaying an expansive
smile distinctly visible Oh board-"as certainly trr-
mcndous. White clothing WAS pleasantly diversified
by SHAW hats and brlEht kerchcis Here and there
| a,rcarcd the gay ZIuavr uniform of the Queen p
| 1st West India Regiment OF colorcd soldiers.
| The white houses Of the town were rnconlHsNcd
with green and yellow lattccs, and st III bowers
| OF palms. bananas and oranges; and among the
| thick green leaves and golden fIut blazcd the huge
| flowers Of the hibiscus and the vermihon Pon>clla.
The streets were a. clean if they had been
scrnbbcd everything exec ut the tattcTcd and some
what scanty rmment Of the colorcd people WAS a
picture of tdiucss My first delightful impressions
! of Nassau were by no means impaired when after
= brief delay reached the cool and cheerful hotel'
! and sat down ut a wcli-scrVcd breakfast oi 1rut
| ana fresh fish
| Thr chIrf tonic of conversation with strangers
|
mtbcr from the Thermometer. have marked the
figures Of that instrument at breakfast and dinner
time g, O'Clock and - every day since my arrival
The lowest has been TO-. the highest 80 and has
| been the greatest change in any one day The
nights are only 80 or - cooler than the days fog
and mist and haze unknown, and there IS little
rain in winter except i'll the form OF occasional
sho,yers | have seen three Of these quick. short
ralns-all of them III the evening or night; before
nv arrival there had been only two showers III two
months Nobody can appreciate the charm Of Slch
| an euuable climate who has not tried II. Even the
greatest heat is not felt as it would he in the
North. fox it is tempered by strong invlRorating
breeze from the sea the island Is so small that
all I'm, winds are ocean winds; and it is not tie
loast Of the recommendations of Nassau TO lnvalids
that here the moisture which usually accompanies
sea ali is not perceptIDle.
Come hither from the wet and frosty North, ana
| for a week or two you will want to do nothing but
sit ON the lazza and look the palintroes bathing
their feet in the sea. 1t was quite IA shock TO our
easy ard dreamy life when pleasure party arrived
| in schooner from Key West the other day accom-
| panied by brass band! They were quarantih'd
over against the reef not half milo nom the Town.
and during the imprisonment the band played. 1t
seemed TO nc. with despairng energy especially
| in the big drum which might have disturbed the
| most obdurate health officer Think OF being lh'-
| prisoned in a schooner with an industrious brass
band from which there is no escape but by jumping
overheard. suppose it is the worst band ever col
| lcctrd 1t has como ashore now. ana marchoS
proudly about the streets to the wiid dceht Oh inc
| colored inhabitants who have dropped WORK anu
| sropned eating sugar-cane in order to follow 1t.
| Yesterday il visited the bOtel and got up celba
tree where it sat for some time playing tunes AS
this statement might provoke discussion, VIII OK
plain that the tree in question has large plat
| q II