Daily Yellowstone journal., 1885-01-18
FIVE HOURS In NASSAU
A REPORTERS VISIT ASHORE AT NEW
PROVIDENCE.
Tropic Vegetation on Little Rock at Sea
Pleasure, of Existence on One
of Edrth's Most Peace
ful NOoks.
Cor New York sun.


The letters n. F., always attached to
Mas au, do not stand for Niger Paradise.
although tie population is largely colorc, /,
but for New Providence, the name Of the
island On which Nassau is a city. New
royidenCe contains cighty.hvu square
miles Of land, three towns aud a score "
more Of curious features not TO lie missed
by a visitor To see all these in five hours
WIS Tremendous feat, aud the accom-.
plislmcHl Of il shocked the CupmuHuy
10 the same degree that thc earth
quake startled this city last summer be
horse that did the work wore an uN!Tr-,
ion OF establishment aud pliicd surprsr
nj finding himself whipped into the Irsl
hurry ever known In the West lud.as.
The mahogany CoOrtd soldiers CaUt
hnguidly OUT Of her ma ,osly's harricks,
the half nude negro babies rolled TO one
side Of the roadway the English mCF-
chants Gud Gle Ks came Ia The doors aud
Windows, and there were SigUs. as the
team Wl,Scd through the African hamlet
Of Grarls'own that iae population WIS
80 stirred that il would surely turn out OF
The HOUSES within au hour or Two to see
what wa, the matter And yet the nag
did not Hrdac more than six mile, au hour
VIII Il was wullopcd the hardest
What 4 buggy ride that wa, to a man
who Ind embarked at the foot of Wall
street, shiyoring in heavy beaver over.
coat, and at the end Of the Journey no
further than from New York TO Chicago,
had turned cut of bed to find himself in
land Of perpetual summer and strangely
beautiful tropical scenery. The white town
on the sloping hillside shone in setting
Cf iroIic VIrdure like a rearl in bed of
green plush Here was no end Of novelty;
Cargoes Of pincapplcs. boat lOalS of
sponges. holds full of singular Holsters,
crabs, aud grotcsque looking fishes, decks
heaped with singular fruits Of uuinviling
appearances, but with names that called
up visions of oriental fcasting and other
heaps Of roots that looked like potatoes,
and some that looked like peppers aud
yet were not exactly like them either
Over all the decks and ON the wharf and
down the main street and up all the side
streets and far away into the country were
swarmS Of negroes, not atnosed, thick
Tipped Congo men and women, but dark.
les with regular features, straight noses,
and mouths within reason. Their bare
feet, Colored cotton shirts, the diSsolute
straw hats VI one sex and gorgeous ban.
danna turbaus of the other, the thin flap
ping trousers Of the men. and the tumble
of colors Ia the women's dresses demon.
straled that the poor were rs cool as the
white merchants and clerks who wear
summer silks or suits OF thin drill goods,
and cooler than the black policemen uni.
formed in heavy and stiff white duck.
Nassau has about Il 900 inhabitants and
is said 10 be the cleanest city in the world.
This is partly because nearly everything
in il except the people and vegetation is
made of white rock, part coral and
limestone. The streets are simply smooth
beds of II, the houses are big boxes OF ii,
the wharves are solid cubes of il, and the
fences are slices OF il set on eud The
city looks white, aad as il Is built on Il
hillside sloping down 10 the sea, IL keeps
itse.f clean.
A ride through the little capital takes
you past square after square OF low, light
colured square houses. many OF them
hitldCl "a one or more sides by additions
enclosed in walls made of shutters that
will aduHt The air and CNClrda tho sgn.
The gardens and farms. il you gan call
ihLm 81, are also made Of solid rock. 10
plant any thing il is only necessary 10
punch Snf spot in Tie tone
with a crGwbar and plant or SOW the
seed In the powder What little soil
there is rest in the cracks and rockets Of
the rock, but vegetation thrivcs ms well
in a hoIr made for the purpose rs in an
old enc 4 thousand and one iresS,
bushes. paEt,. and shrubs brandish their
leaves in every hand Palms. COcOanuts,
view. nleandcrs as high a. the houses
and gorgeous with blossoms, roses that
never cease To bloom, iasmues, shell
flowers cuci without number geran
iums. AID an interminablc list Of flowers
illuminc the scenery and weight the ali
with perfume.
In Wild pro!usiun and in trained good
order are the fruits Of this land Of inces.
SAINT Juuc-cocanuts, lemons, oranges. Ia
nants piucapples, sapodillas, guavas,
bre IdtrIil, Citron. mulberry. Ilantains,
grapes ,amarinds. ana a double score OF
fruits wholly unknown 10 this country
All this on u soillcss rock in the sea Over
the tree tops the red tlamingo floats. the
wild pigeon COOS IN the branches, par,
tridges qunil, ducks, snipe, and pigeons
are credited to the woods and beaches.
Inya IL, and those who dislike or have
reason 10 dread northern winter find
therr climate which between November
and May does not vary more Than ten de
grees--irom about 20 degrees 10 about ~
| degrees
The negroes have Grantstown for their
capital Il begins little beyond where
Nassau ends and consists of a most inter.
estiDg collection Of wooden shantics with
out tircplaces or chimncys, with matched
| palmetto leaf roof ard no glass or shades
! in the window, These houses peep out
beside the white rOadsides from beautiful
confusion Of fruits, flowers, and tropiC
trees and black women and children
abound IN such numbers that three such
cities as Nassau could not provide work
for all Of them.
They are densely ignorant. and have lh'
sunniest dispositions Laughter and SOM
| well from them constantly But they se
go little money that white strangers find
ing they will do anything TO get II. col
rupt them fearfully. Getting fifty o
them 10 fight like wolves In heap Of
the ground for the possession OF n sms
silver coin is one OF the most innocen
sports they get these simple souls
provide