Wichita eagle., 1888-07-29
WADING ON 4 CAY.
SPECIMENS or SEA LIFE SEEN AMONG
The BAHAMAS.

The BAHAMAS.
Masses of Coral Fud Of Tiny Crustaceans-
Under the shelves of Rock-amons
the Orange Celored Fields of Sara
Gossa-
One day st low tide went ashore of Hog
Cay. Itwas, or is, called Hog Cay because
there are no hogs on it, and for that matter
there are dozens Of cars called Hog Cay pos
sibiy for the same reason Most Of the sponge
fishing vessels carry black pig which roaITls
On the forecastle deck. What this pig gets
to ee. is 70 me a mystery. There seems 70 be
no surplus of food, no cold food over. GER
tainly, for the sponge isherman's food -
bread and water, and not over much Of that
These pigs are very thin, and have an I'M
comfortable habit Of gnawins at ones pants
legs.
At low tide the shores Of rocky isle. or
cay in the Bahamas has ragged reef Of rock
uncovered and looking Ike a mass of wind
blown soap suds made on large scale, sud
denly petrifed, and then black or gray with
mildew Ii is honeycombed and pocketed
with sharp, brittle, jagged points every
species Of mollusks, generally occupy
ing slight depressions made by themselves;
they wit iraw into their shells. shut the door
and placidly await the flow Of the next tide.
Here are thousands OF the little spiral bleed
Ing tooth shells Below this rock is a shelv-
ing beach or shallow sloping, and on this I
waded in my rubber boots, collecting such
things as attracted my attention Masses II
hys
with pink tips, served as cover for fish OF
many bright colors, AVtle fellows not daring
30 80 into the open
FULL OF LfrK
Taking to the dry beach masses Of this
coral as great as / could lift, found il full
of life: little tiny crustaceans-white, black
and red-minute, quick moving star fish,
green and black; black spined sea eggs; long
worms with double line of leg hike points
on the lower surface and a leather tube, in
which they carried themselves; funny little
cid mossback crabs, SO hid by vegetable
growth as to pass unnoticed If they would
only keep still; a beautiful olive shell, with
purple mouth, like a dainty lady in humbls
company. Here and there a whelk or two.
nestled under h,tlc shelf, with its button
like door shut tlSal Larger and fiatter
corals of a dull yellow found covered with
parasitic life, such rs tiny sPonges, leather
like. tat, some yellow with many "A mouth.
Others brown and ike u miniature volcano,
IN handling which there Is left III the skiu
spiculse So fine and needle like that they
poison the hands, CO 'sing an itching and
eruption that lasts for days: waving alga,
thread like sea plants oi many a plumsy
form and many shade OF brown; coralites
white and brown, jointed, branching tufts.
Under the rock shelves were bright coiored
anemones, siren like letting the shallow tide
comb their long hair. A little deeper big
crayfish, brilliant in gold and black, with
feelers twenty inches long. instead of claws,
steal quickly away; biz crabs blue and gray
or dark spotted red. hold up angry claws,
then try to hide under my boots On shore
the great round leaves Of the red and green
sea grape hide the land.
On the leeuard side Of the cay the ebb tide
leaves bare a white marty bar 1000 acres in
area, full of the tracks OF little lively she'll
fish plowing along and feeding; naticas,
white and blue; deep holes where the crabs
hide: other holes from which issues long
sack, translucent and filed with red spots.
the eggs of some creature; little collar like
- -
OF dead and brown gulf weed marks tho line
Of the spent high tide on the shore, with here
ard there dead shell or sponge. a couple
of hours wadinc, at each low tide, at the end
OF New Cay, is fruitful every day Of ne and
strange creatures Such hours are fascinai-
ing and such pleasure is unalloyed
GARDEN OF THE SEA.
Whoever has sailed in big steamship 10
Cuba, 10 the Bahamas, or through the south
Atlantic. has seen after crossing the Gulf
Stream, day after day, an uneudiug proc,s-
sion of great and little patches OF n bright
orange colored plant which floats placidIy On
the surface Sometimes 1t is only single
plant spread out fat with the leaves and
stems partly out Of water, often there are
patches OF from many inches 70 many feet in
area or again great fields acres In extent:
sometimes it is In streaks or bands, coutInu-
Gus or interrupted, few feet, or NAV b., rods
wide, extending from horizon u horizon
This is the orange colored garden of tho sea.
a simple plant, without apparent root, leafIng,
Towering and fruiting as IL floats, the Sara
gossa see weed, whose metropolis Is Ia the
horse ATTITUDES
| have often wanted tO fish IL up from the
deck OF a steamer, but never succeeded 70
any satisfaction until recently, when
crossed ON little sloop ors OF tho abyssal
deeps Of ocean which reach in betwesn The
Bahama islands. / could easily reach IL with
a landing net as we sailed II Is a plant Of a
soft orange color over, under aud through.
multitude OF minute anirnsIs little coral
like grow,hs, wreath the stems IN strings Of
pearls. Grabs no bigger than n finger tail.
mailed In coats Of fe,h rcd or black, resent
with upheld claw al intrusion, pravus ard
Holsters in miniature f!p-hap their lointeei
tails in microscopic glndness; fishss in brizh.
bands Of color, hall an inch long find homs
here.
In this the winged shells of many forms
and amber hues, q distant order of naoliusks
tPteropodal, living only in tho open ssa ard
on its surface, find food and shslter, a group
OF shells rare in any cabinst The frorids II
this plant ore buoyei up by numerous blai-
deTlike n0dulss At intervals along sach stem
Two distinct pieces were observed one II
which was slzhtly greeuish IA tie orange
tone Of color. Frederick S:sarns In Ds.roit
Free Pres.
Getting Ahead of Hotel Men.
The way hotel and soras other peguys
have beed bled b. sou1e showrasn Is q eau
ton Al sorts Of schemes have been re-
sorted 70. with more or lees sueeess
generally the lzttsr. know one zsr NY