New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-20
A WINTER HOLIDAY.
rise IN raR RaHAMA ISLANDS.
ives N NASSAU PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION

SKETCHES OF MICRO CHARACIEh.
,y.on sTAFR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBusE'i
n.ss.u. bahamas Feb. sI0.-There is a great
.ssr,o 60 che oyerdriyen American in the atfnos-
49, which broods over these Isles of Incidence.
We streteh our relaxed limbs in easy chairs on the
ho,, xeraudah and we look out over the sleepy ana
shaded town and the fringe of surf along the coral
,ssfs upon the quiet deep There are no snips
coming over the horizon. and mono are expecseu'
We are quite cut OF the world. Save for SUCH trines
"A nm old fort or So garrison. public horary anu
a steamer twice q month. Nassau might he q COLI
nunisy of fourteen thousand Robinson Crusoos' %
remote and solitary and uneyentful is the lie Vi no
colony during the long interval between nhaiiS' o
the man the island OF New-Providence lies deep In
the midst Of n crowded group, through which you
might think vessel could hardly Dick iIs way
But maps are deceptive. Approaching Nassau rum run
the United states, you never see ioc,S VI ,0A""'
until you snodenly come upon Ne"-iros'uenoo'
rising ont of the blue with nothing else IN sYht ex
r e. o,tIvine reefs and il seems to be thousands
Of miles from any shore The stranger lands' i"ii
ot energy and eager for excursions. He tramps
about the beaches for few days, he pulls himseI1
around the harbor in a row-bost, he goes 10 the
woods and gathers load of ferns and flowers; put
soon the languor of the place overcomes MN. TIC
buys palmetto hat and pair OF white duck shoeS'
and betakes himself to the pastime oil sitting IN the
shade and looking at tho sea.
When the steamer Carondelet came in the other
day. however there was an excitement when rose
TO fever heat. new Royal Governor 1or inc
Bahama Islands was on board. The fifteen olack
nolicemen put on clean white trousers; the black
Zouaves from the barracks marched TO the landing
Mace: the brass band which came over here with
Measure party from Key West lit was an American
hand of African descent lent its effective services
for the ioyfnl occasion; there were fag-raislngs,
salutes officers in scarlet coaJs civil tunctonarles
in dress SUITS and an outpouring OF the coioreo
poprlation which ought to have been seen 10 DC ap
nreciated / think 1 had the best view OF the
show for / went out in a little yacht which
anchored few yards from the landing-stalrs SO
that surveyed the expectant faces OF the negroes
rnassed in mighty numbers along the quay. lnere
was black woman of stupendous magnitude I'D 'hc
fropt .ow whose tongue was not still for moment
: nor her body quiet Her costume was an astonlsh-
ing composition of purple and green and whife'
fopped with profusely decorated hat Of the shep-
bedess style and she continually raised both arms
on high and let them fall upon her knees as an &C
commandment to her joyful vociferations. go
long honey, an fetch him ashore" she shouted to
the coxswain of q man-Ot-wars boat; don't you
see we're all ready" And then she sped our yacht
and began to beckon: Come here! come here!
CONE HERE, tell you! Amt you gwine to take
your ole mudder aboard n am afraid the OLD lady
came to grief atterwaId; for at later period OF the
day. while tine Governor was taking the oath OF
Office in one of the public buildings, the troops ex
eeuted a maneuvre in the street for the purpose OF
pressing back the crowd, and as the red and blue
line swept by there was moment OF coniusoD'
and the massive hindmost end OF a cOlored woman
on all fours emerged into view rom the recedihg
ranks.
ham
looking residence on the summit of hill. and there
. ara Gardens and plantations all around 1t. Like
most of the houses here. it is built low-for hnrn-
canes are not unknown-and il is screened from tile
snn nv broad atticed verandahs In front OF 1t, on
n long fight of steps leading down into the town,
is n statue of Columbus. sand who Is CoumbusT
asked Joeose American OF an aged darkey. DON'T
YOU know who Keristopher Kerlun brs is !" was the
answer; . why, boss. he's de man what discovered
de worldo Several Of the private and official resi-
dences are extremely pretty, and some OF them are
notable for their commanding position and stately
aspect bright and comicai little coored urchln'
universally known by the sobriquet OF Sankey the
has suffering brother called Moody, volunteered
to bear lie company one day on stroll about the
streets. and to tell me who lived in the principal
houses lie showed me the home OF the Bishop and
the Collector of Customs aud the Chief-J ustice.
And who lives here, Sqnkeyf' said |, at another
sate Sankay stood on foot, aud looked 1T me
with his head aside and his body twisted with
embafr assnIent 3" Dat, bOSs-dats de 'tunl-tun'l
de Eternal General" Saukey is a handsome
child, with skin about the color Of maple syrup
laughing face, a figure straight as an arrow, and
the most graceful motions ever saw ID boy.
With straw hat so big that when you look down
ut him from the piazza you nothing bnt his rest
less bare legs under the nr, he is one OF the most
conspicuous objects in the assembly Of merchants
who congregate after breakfast aud after dinner in
the court of the hotel. Some briDg strings Of
sponges which are good and cheap; some Oher
shells and other small spoils of the branches
of coral; tortoise backs, polished and artfuly
patched where they have been pierced By the
murderous spear; palmetto baskets; homemade
lace cocoannts and oranges; these are the chief
wares offered for sale on the Ralto Of Nassau. A
strapping girl brought live rooster. and urged an
esriInabe lady from the State OF NewYork to buy
him. He was certainly handsome. If he only
q parrot "a take him. said the lady, walking
away; - but what could DO with that rooster 7"
Make him fight. marmw was the loud and eager
reply. He was q game-eock. Sankey is sometimes
equipped with few parti-colOred beans, or length
Of schew-stick," or three or four preposterous
fragments OF refuse sponge. but hrs real eTrand
70 beg and to be petted. Ii you please, boss. !
want to speak 10 you iou ought W ouE sohietHihH
OF O, me.o And then, IL you decline to trade, lie
adds in confidential whisper: Say, boss think
your lady has got something for me. You ask her {"
biocdy appears TO be of rather more serious turn
thai his brother. and he Is also several shades
blacker He often oficiates as an extra man before
the mast on sailing excursions and it is as good as
aplay to see him tumble of the quay into skifl,
and get himself in some monkey fashion aboard the
sloop Ida, when Captain Bill Major passes the
word that he may come along. Moody wears an
ancient yachting shirt with an inscrutable blue
collar which covers nearly the whole OF his back
but at no point touches his neck and is entirely in