The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-06-06

Correspondence Of the N. Y. Times.
NASSAU, BAHAMAS, April 8.-After
long season of drought and dryness, of
scorched grass and rattling leaves, there
has come to us here at last a little of the
rain we have wanted so long. 1t comes
now only in occasional showers, but every
shower makes itself felt. We hear the
rain pattering upon the roof at night, and
say to ourselves, "Ah, there's fine shower.
That will brighten things up" And SO it
does. We go out in the morning, and,
though it may have rained for only half
an hour, the grass is ten degrees greener
and brighter. Even here in Nassau some
trees drop their leaves at times not be-
cause there is any frost to kill them, but
because trees, like people, must have an
occasional rest Those trees that have
been standing nearly bare for month or
more have begun to put out new leaves.
To be sure we have green trees and flowers
all the year round. The roses in my front
yard bloom every week in the year. From
January to December that little patch in
closed between white stone walls is bit of
brightest crimson. The oleander just out
side one of the parlor windows has been
full of flowers for a month or more, and
deliciously fragrant flowers they are, max
ing the air all about smell like perfumer S
shop-only much better. But still the
winter is to some extent season OF rest
for vegetation, principally on account of its
dryness In this part of the tropics, in
stead of frost we have drought, which Is
almost as bad for the trees and the grass.
Some winters are wet enough, they tell me;
but the one just past has been very dry
one, and vegetation shows the effects.
These struggling showers that come now
are hardly yet the advance guard OF the
rainv season. 1t is too early for that. In
a month more we will be having rains every
day: not continuous rains, but shower or
two in the morning. more rain IN the after
noon. with the sun shining between, and
good heavy rain nearly every night.
After these daylight showers, when the sun
comes out with such force that in ther-
mometer exposed to its rays the mercury
runs up to 1859 frequently, and sometimes
to 1859, the ground fairly steams. Ut
course, then everything that grows with
roots springs up like weeds; and then it is
that real tropical vegetation is at its best.
In the winter time vegetation here looks
like our Northern greenness in summer;
but in the rainy season, with these alterna-
tions of rain and heat, We know OF nothing
in the North to equal it. Plants grow out
of walks and walls and sides of houses. A
piece of board that you left lying outdoors
! the fall before has become sufficiently de
cayed to make itself bed for rich weeds,
and they spring out of it and flourish on
its richness. And with the budding out Of
all these fresh blades and leaves there come
out of their lairs the only wild beasts we
have in Nassau.
They are tarantulas centipedes and
scorpions. They have lain hidden some
where or other all winter, rarely showing
themselves, but the first rains of spring put
new life into them and they come creeping
out, and turn up always where least ex-
pected. They are to the people of Nassau
what tigers and lions are to the East In
dians. Just shout, "Look out for that
scorpion p or 'There's a centipede = il
you want to see everybody jump. They
are all small, but all venomous. Ii one OF
them bites you you are sure to have trouble
The poison may not kill you, but it will
give you more pain than anybody cares
about enduring, and it will give you 'the
fever" as every bodily i'll is called here by
the natives. If it is centipede or scor.
pion, you may accidentally pick one up IL
your hand; but you will not hold him long
And anybody who spends few months II
the tropics learns to treat them with the
greatest respect. Without much OF thai
fear of spiders and insects in general thai
some persons have | think [ should rather
encounter a panther or bear than any one
of these three insects. With the big brute'
you see them coming, or know about where
to expect them, and can be on your guard
But YOU have not much chance to guard
against the tarantula, the centipede or the
scorpion.
The tarantula being the largest of thu
three, the most hideous, and, l think, the
most dreaded, he is perhaps entitled to b'
looked at first. He is known by almost
everybody in Nassau as ''the ground spl
der, but he is the real poisonous tarantula
the same as have met him in Arkansas
in Texas, in Mexico and in Cuba. There
are more of them in Arkansas, | think
than anywhere else in the world. In
mornings walk of six or eight miles there
| have seen several, and considering The
spiders deadly character and great size
that was running across them pretty fast
Here they are not so plenty, but still there
are ennnnh about In the rainY season {