Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-07-07
NOUpJ IIsnItd ISNS-l
o. The EVENING sr,a.

FULL yIEw-scEsEs AND IScIDEsrs
copyrighted 1851
Special Correspondence o. The EVENING sr.a-
NASSAU. y. T., June 90, 1883.
In the biographies not much account Is made OF
the Bahama islands You Will only remember
them "a nttIe almost ndistinguishabe specks In
the wTinkly lines that stand for water away on
the southeast coast OF the United States, but had
you been at sea and studied the ocean charts you
would have had more respect for them They are
between six and seven hundred IN number when
the Gays or keys are Included, and had the won
dsrful coral formation so interesting to study and
so dangerous 70 nayigators which hides just be-
meath the surface OF the In al this region, rse
but a few feet higher. here would have been land
measured from northwest Mantinella, opposite the
florida bay OF ST. Lucie, To Nayidad Bank, Just
above the northeast coast Of Cuba, nearly a thou
sand miles long and from two TO four hundred
miles In wiith-almost a continent, and situated
IN eternal summer. In the order OF extent In area
the larger Islands are Great Abaco, Andres Great
Bahama, and New Providence The latter Is the
most populOus, while the greatest historic and
commercial interest attaches 10 two OF tho small
est OF the grOup-san Salvador, where Columbus
nTst landed IN the New World, and Turks Island,
famous for It's export OF salt
-HE BAHAMAS
are said TO have been settled early as 1922 and
their population Is estimated TO be about forty
thousand souls But they listless indolent lot,
10 whom SIMPLE existence Is the highest asplra-
ton For the most part the language Is a curious
tongues. sponge-gaIhering, fisRing, concn-gathsr-
ing, frut-picki1g, and wrecking constitute about
all the labor done. he islands swarm with these
wreckers, nearly all good natured souls who regard
everything cast upon the shores every vessel that
grounds upon the dangerous wrecks and Gays and
every craft that can even be lured upon tho rocks
as their rightiul gain. and receive all such ocean
salvage as II the blessing OF heaven
ante Lel 'ha mai OF SI rh ES
at Key West and along the Pine Islands on the
south coast OF Florida In the capital Nassau,
there Is some wealth, some refinement and some
regard the illness Of things, but even here the
enervating blight OF a society Largely impregnated
with political and moral castaways has fallen.
lndeed Nassau, whiie one Of the worlds aGtrac-
tive resorts for the invalid or traveller, has ever
been this sort Of q reiuSe-in the early days for
pirates and later for blockade runners, political
nonads, and public defauiters 1t was here Lord
Dunnore came from virginia and the willy but
here found solace from the torment OF public
detestation and seif-TepTOach, TO finally I'll wan
derer's grave behind these corai-lned, zephyr
kissed shores.
HOW rHa ISLANDS ARE REACHED.
Ordinarily the traveller reaches the Bahamas by
steamer. Three days are required for the trip
from Boston, New York or Philadelphia; or, II In
cuba, one must travel around the south coast
from Cienfueyos past Santiago de Cuba, TO Nassau,
the capital city OF the Islands. Having many
good friend among the Havana guadaneros and
queer waterside folk, learned of another delight
ful way. The owner Of a little spanish coaster,
the Donna EnrtQueta, who looked as though he
might have sailed with old PaachO Mart1 the last
OF the Caribbean freeOoOters, took Inc along Tor
"two ounces" IN spanish gold, swearing by all the
saints IL was only done for my own goUdly COM
pany. f. CapiIano Renaldo lot that was the old
corSair's name between 1shing, smuggling and
wrecking, makes occasional trips 10 the Bananas
Tor boat loads OF sponges. He never pays outright
Tor these, but oads his JaunIy craft lightly with
sugar, molasses, yilainOus cheap CONNECTIONS tus-
saJo. or south American Jerked beef, and cheap
coasts about the reefs, keys and unfrequented
bays and inlets Of the Bahamas and dickers with
the mongrel Inhabitants for sponge.
sEA-FARISG FAMILY.
His crew consisted OF his wife, q verttable Meg
Merrilies, three pratica looking sailors from the
Isle OF Pines, seven half-breed children, and an
even dozen Cuban dogs OF every variety OF size
shade OF color and tone Of yep. The captain, who
was either all Radiance or buster, smilingly
staggered, lolled, doLed and did no labor; his
wife, who was FIRST and second mate cook and sea-
man combined, raved and rioted and never smiled
the three Isle OF Pine sailors ate like sharks
slept hke-CuDans, danced and sang though
the permanent lend men" OF some invisible min
strei band, never lifting nnger 10 labor unless
temoestuously charged upon by the black heilyOn
who truly commanded the little coaster; the
children. naked and half naked, romped the decks
and climbed the rigging or played at hide-and-
seek from beneath the anchor chains TO the dusk
lest depths OF the hold; the dozen dogs made pre-
ing thing beneath the sky from ghOstly sails
leagues 70 starooard and port circling gull shoals
that broke and cracked alongside TO seemingly
disappear asLern, while this de ied they scurrsed
rom wheel 70 capstan ba king bravery By day at
the fair horizon rim, and by night at the very
stars pulsing and glowing In the tropic armament
IL was novel experience from any Standpoint
The trip WAS done leisurely and without hurry, as
the interior farmer and all who are WITHIN hIs
heart and home do the semi-aEnual trip 10 town.
with or less visiting along the way II gave
insight TO a Kind OF seafairing family HE thar I
found existed TO quite an important degree In all
West Indian waters. IL revealed to me people
among these Islands and keys who, while OF lair
Intelligence, have no more consciousness OF The
great LANDS beyond their little coral foothold than
has Hottentot OF Emersonlah transcendentalsm.
TIE FIRST CALL MADE
during our lazy sail was at DouDle-Shot Head KEYS
at the edge Of the grand banks OF Bahama, and
which you would pass, were you crossing the
banks Cubaward, as you entered the Gulf OF Mex
leo. II Is dangerous point La navigation low,
uslylooklng, dreary, and JGjs out OF the sea saw
agely. Inc English government has lighthouse
here halr-dozen men who make salt and the
who have existed here for a score OF years The
woman II a character. In England she was such a
shrew That the government hnAily took eognizanCe
OF her powers OF nome and neIsnpornood ruin and
provided her husband, who was a lighthouse
keeper on the Devonshire coast, with this foriorn
and Isolated charge. The woman Is forty incar-
late nen1S Any man has a positive inspiraJlOn
q cour sse and wisdom when be would even desert
fortune and place and put weary wastes or miles
between himself and such q virago. Our swarthy
captain, Renaiio, speaking OF her and her abso-
lGtey ierocioQs sway, unLi, ndiul Of mis- own hu-
mILty, SAID De had Dren many a time tempted 10
run her Ponr slave OF n husband on Double-Shot
Head keys as a stowaway. There are men who
WA S@Pe01AA IudI GENEROUS stQtl.
InenL
TIE GREAT BAHAMA BANKS
Our voyage trOil Douole-ShOt Head Keys was a
sweet dream Of tropical sea-Iife to the famous
Hoie-ln-tne-Wau AT the latter point vessels
leave the deep sea OF the Horse Latltudes for the
voyage across the banks" when bound Tor Gulf of
Mexico ports Few have any iGea OF the Great
bahama odnAS. Their formation Is wholly OF
white CORA Iney are from 90 TO 100 miles In
width and fully Go miles In length Their outer
edge Grelng from The Northwest Providence Cham
nei. al Great Isaac Island opposite Florida away
70 tine southeast, terminating In the Columbus
Dank, a. point ABOUT due north from the center
OF Cuba The westerly edge OF the banks rise pre-
cpltately out OF the Gulf Stream, here called the
Gun or Florida, In water whose depth Is from
SOo 10 90 fathoms; anu the eastern edge
merseS Into dangerous shoals, keys sunken
rocks and the Bahama Islands them
selves. "Crossins the banSs' Is regarded by
sea captains the most Desirable tnlng 10 do
providing vessel does not draw TOO much water
Inc Depth OF water upon the banks Tor these hum
oreds OF miles Is only from two and one-half To
three fathoms; and In the chart-cour,e from Hole
ln-the-Wal II nowhere varies TWO fatnoms In tine
noftAeast and southwest Channel across the banka
the length OF which channel, OF course as sailed
being about 10 miles No such wonderful si9nt
Is ever elsewhere witnessed Here Is a scaled
100 miles long, as level q Dakota prairie as
white as snow. every square foot OF which can be
seen from = ships deckI-while the water opales.
cent and with marvellous and delicate tiny, of
green, reveals countless MASSES OF sponge and in
numeraole forms VI lie Of transcen mt Inter
est and beauty.
AT NASSAU.
Nearly week was passed In reaching Nassau.
aweek OF drea nful idleness. of weird exner,encas