Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-27
RAMBLEs IN axe BAHAMAs.
VatlinEs' Island or San Salvador-The
scene of the Landing of Columbus.

HRftInEG kkA4nu OF san O0ANAO0A--A Az
scene of the Landing of Columbus.
From TIE Baltimore Sun.
T.. s. FISH COMMISSION STEAMER AL
RArRoss, WATLLNGs' ISLAND, BAHIA.
MAS. March 1.-At the present day, when
there are so many tourists spending the
winter months in the Southern waters,
one feels it to be an almost unwarrant-
able presumption to write upon any sub
iect connected with either the West In
dies or the Bahama Islands. Still, to the
Americans, any information in regard to
Watlings' Island or San Salvador, the es-
tablished landing place Of Columbus, on
oct. u, 1892, will always be OF interest.
We are told that Columbus discovered the
island at daVbreak. He saw it from the
nortnward and eastward. We first sighted
the northwest end, and ran down the
western side between sunset and dark.
1t appeared to be more or less nat, ana
uninteresting except as the landing place
OF Columbus. The sailing directions Tor
this part Of the seas describe 1t as being
10 miles in length north and south, from
5 to miles in breadth, and its shores are
slightly indented. The interior is largely
cut up by salt water lagO0ns, separated
from each other by small woody hills from
100 to 140 feet high; IL 10, however, con-
sidered to be the most fertile in the group
K Bahamas and raises the best sheep"
The island has long reef running out
from the nerth end, and l naturally asked
myself what effect it would have had
upon the history of our country If Column
bus had been a few hours earlier and
struck this place in the night. AS we all
know, this. as we'll as all the Bahamas,
belongs to England.
THE inhabitants.
There are about 500 inhabitants on the
island, all black except one white man
and mis- two sisters. The negroes have
been free little over forty years. They
are thrifty, scrupulOusly clean, strong
adherents to the Church of England eX-
eept a few Baptists, and more or less in-
telligent, quite number of them being
able to read and write. One of the chief
things they ask for was writing paper on
which to practice. Notwithstanding
their apparent intelligence, a very few OF
them know anything about the interest
that attaches to their island, and l was
told by one of the oldest and most intelli-
gent of them that not one of them could
point out the supposed landing
place of the great discOverer.
Any one who has ever exam
ined the remarkable painting in the ro-
tunda of the capital at Washington can
not help but being painfully struck with
the contrast between what it represents
and what really exists to-day, There are
beaches here similar to the one there
shown, very few palm trees, and none
Of the beautiful natives. There are not
even any records Of the abOrigines. The
island is Of coral formation, with a light
soil above the rocks. In places it is very
fertile, and they raise corn and potatoes
in abundance for their own consumption
and to supply the cattle, sheep and
horses, which they raise and find ready
market for them in Nassau. A
great variety Of wild flowers grow
in great luxuriance everywhere. The
houses, which are scattered all over the
island, are built with the idea OF keeping
out the heat and to Withstand the fearful
hurricanes that sweep over these islands
about once in every II years. The founda |
tons are laid on the hard coral rock anC |
the walls are made of broken pieces OF tht |
same material. The walls are fully 3 |
inches thick, plastered inside and out ard |
whitewashed. The roofs are all thatchsd |
with either palm or palmetto. All ae |
houses are of one story and not over 20 |
feet high. There are usually two COM
partments in the interior. The floors are |
covered with mating, and everything has |
a cheerful, cleanly appearance.
HOW PEARLS ARE CAUGHT
Some OF the people live upon fishing, |
especially for pearls. / watched them |
fishing for them. They go out IL small
boats to where the water is about 20 feet
deep, where, by the use of the water glass,
they can easily see any object at the bot
tom. This glass consists of -four boards
about 10 inches long nailed together in
the form OF hollow pyramid. The small
end is closed with a piece of ordinary
glass. By putting this end a few inches
below the surface Of the water and look
ing in the other they can discern any OBJ
Ject at considerable depths. AS soon as
they see cOnch they dive down for it,
and l never saw them fail to bring one
up. After having collected a number
OF shells they are taken to the shore and
the cOnch is examined for its pearl.
Ihey can usually tell by feeling, but to
make sure they cut them up, when, if the
conch contains pearl, il will drop out
out as soon as the flesh is opened. The
pearl Is simply hard formation inside OF
the flesh of the conch and has no appa-
rent connection with it. 1t is rarely that
one is found. Often hundreds OF conches
are caught without finding a single pearl,
while on the other hand, two or three
may be found in a catch of half a dozen
cOnches. June is said to be the best
month tor them. The fishermen easily
get from So to 800 apiece for their treas
ures-acc0rdlng to their quality, the |
beautiful pink ones bringing the highest
prices.
HISTORY-ITS FUTURE.
The Island of San Salvador never will
be, and it is hard to imagine that it ever
mas been, any better off than at present:
II has no great future, and were it not for
lne historical interest that attaches TO
II as the landing place OF Columbus, no
one would ever care to visit it. There are
I'VE different islands claimed as the Origi.
nal one by different authorities, and a
good deal has been written in support Of
each, but Watlings' Island is one The most
generally accepted, and which agrees
most nearly with the accounts given in
me journal OF Columbus himself. 1t is
me one laid down on all recent charts as
san Salvador and the first landfall OF Co
Iumbus.
FOR SIMMER HEAT