Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-04-13
Letter from Nassau.
-corraspondence Alexandria GAZETTE

YOUR many readers would ike to hear from
this place, rendered so famous by blockade
runners during the late war, that will try
and dash off q hasty line or so. It's place
which once seen is never likely to be forgot.
ten. 1t is q tiny West Indian city. built on
and from q coral strand, half submerged in
the Atlantic OCEAN. Ii is unique both in
formation and civilization. Situated on the
slope Of a hill it verges gradually by easy
descent to the helbor below, and with its
belt of blue and emer aid water offers to the
eve of the traveller an exquisite harmony of
glowing color. TIA narrow streets, white as
if crystal from the snowdrift OF the last
northern blizzard winG up and around the
hill. many of them overarched with the
glossy lsaved foliage of tamarind and al
Ioond trees.
The houses cream, yellow and chocolate.
and chimneyless, with gabled or hipped
roofs are not, perhaps, arcbitecturally beau
tiiully, but seen through the long, pendent
branches OF the cocoanut trees, with their
red roofs half hidden in the verdure. are ex-
ceedingIy quaint and picturesque. The
heart of the city presents foreign appear
apce, as if French or Spanish, and the lower
part OF Bay street, with its esplanade and
long caleried barracks, with Fort Char.
lotte in the distance, is said to be much
more Spanish than English in aspect.
Marching through the quaint old streets
the West Indian regiment in their gay unl
forms may be daily seen, their zouavs dress
az unique as picturesque. With their tur
bans OF scarlet and white, with the long.tas
sells swinging over their shoulders, their
blue trousers, yellow waistcoat and scarlet,
gold. laced coat, and above all, with their
heaming ebony faces, they afford brilliant
bit of color against the white coral OF the
streets.
This zouave regiments composed OF East
Indians, Jamaica (colored) troops and Congo
Africans, and are as we'll disciplined soldiers
as one often sees. They are commanded by
English officers sent out for the purpose
from England.
On approaching Nassau "a we rounded
the point in the harbor, whereon stands The
light. house, sll discovered that we were float
ing ia wafer as transparent as air, anu could
distinguish the bottom thirty feet below U.s.
IL is a strata of white coral, coiored here
and there with the yelloTs and browns OF
the sea. weeds, and it is so clear that II q
nicke lay at the bottom it could be easily
distinguished. Ascending the coral steps
which lead to the pier, we were greeted by
so many black faces and so few white ones
that we seem to have fallen into the very
midst of an African colony Negroes of every
description and age. from 3 to So, and vary
ing in shade from bakers chocolate TO
India ink, swarmed around. all eager to
act as guides and gain an honest penny.
The Royal Victoria Hotel is situated near
the summit Of the hill. and over.looks the
entire city and harbor below It was built
by the Colonial government at al expense
of Sl25, 900, and is large, commodious and
picturesque, and with the attentive kindness
of the proprietor, affords 10 the traveller
delightful resting place. AT the head OF
George street, en- the highest elevation,
stands the Government House, approached
by several flights ofmarb steps Atthe head
of ont is O colossal statue of Columbus, and
large but unpretentious mansion surround
ed by handsome grounds. Sir Ambrose
Shea, the newly made Governor, resides
there, and both he and Lady Shea mite in
courteous Inequalities to English and Amer
leans alike. Through the thoughtful kind
nses Of our American Consul, Hon. L. }.
McLain, OUT visit was rendered very de-
lighiful true American gentleman, he
unites the highest scholarly attachments
with great personal refinement. Much
clemency is displayed here as regards the
position of the vicegerent and chief officials,
and q certain degree OF Stata Is sustained
by every English Governor
The entrance to his mansion is always
guarded by soldiers Of the West Indian regi-
ment and an escort of the same accom- anifs
his carriage when on official duty.
The new Governor is practical, sensible
man, and so far has been very successful in
his Office, AT the opening of Parliament he
strongly advocated many effective measures
for increasing he commercial prosperity of
the Islands, one Of them being the establish
ment of telegraphic communication with
the United States by means of submarine
cable.
Nassau for The last hundred years has had
hut moderate commercial interest, with
the exception of the four years of our civil
war. when the harbor was full of iron clads
and business rushed like lightning express.
The wealth of the place to-day lies almost
exclusively in the.hands of those who coin
ed their money By their strict neutrality.
But those days are long since over, and the
island is again taking a siesta. Thrice hap
nv land, where wars and rumors Of wars are
unknown, and one needs go to the postof-
fee only twice month. There is rest in
the air, repose in the breezs, aud tranquility
in the wings of the trade wind
A feature in the Nassau landscape, almost
Oriental in aspect is the market hour in
early morning. The oolored people, many
of them pure Africans, and, it Is said, retain.
log among themselves the real African Ian
guage, each female bearing on her head
tray of sapodillas, oranges and pineapp!ee.
her shoulders draped with a scarlet or gel.
low scarf, with perhaps bright cotton
handkerchief bound about her head the
foreign sailors, with huge gold earrings
cleaning in their ears, their mahogany COL
lored skins showing through the open front
of their blue shirts, and here and there q
youane in his scarlet, blue and gold,
mingling with the crowd, present q
bizarre and brilliant spectacle. Over
all, against the background of blue
eky and blue water swings the long feath-