The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-05-07
LIFE IN ANEGADA.
One Of tho straogest of All the Strange
Places in tho World.

The island OF Anegaia Is one OF tho
strangest of al strange places IN the
world. Il lies near the northeastern
angle of the main chain OF the West
Indies, and differs from all the other
islands near it in being flat and low,
the neighboring isles all being steep
and mountainous. 1t is nino miles
long and two miles across, and lies SO
low that in heavy gales the sea makes
a clean beach over the lower portions
of it, whence its namo. for GnegadS, ls
the Spanish for drowned island.
In 1881 it had 719 inhabitants. OF
whom only three were white people;
It's population is noted fo1 idleness, ana
the main occupation for many years
was wrecking-for an extensive ana
very dangerous coral reef surrounds
the island, and once gave it very
melancholy notoriety. But since the
establishment of the lighthouse on the
island OF Sombrero Corty-seren miles
to the eastward), there have been few.
if any, wrecks on Anegada, since the
main cause of the shipwrecks was the
constant and swift current which sets
upon the island from the east. Ac-
cordingly, the natives are now nor
often aroused by the cry Of "a vessel
on the reef''-the only call in the OLD
days which would arouse them from
their almost perpetual inactivity. In
fact, they are about the LATEST people
in the West Indies. although that ls
saying great deal.
Auegada used to be covered with
nderWood-notably Of the kind called
seaside grape, which here is part!cu.
larly rich in the valuable gum called
Jamaica kino. Anegada is the home
of very numerous and singular tropical
plants, but it is perhaps rather more
noteworthy for its immense numbers
of mosquitoes, Sallinippers and scor.
pions, not to speak Of venomons and
other reptiles. The surrounding seas
are rich in scale and she'll fish OF many
kinds. Among its singular birds the
| famingo is one of the most numerous
species: and most OF the ponds are the
abode of ducks. which on the approach
of man, rise and fill the air with their
dangerous cries. 1t is no easy matter
to reach the island. A few years age
an attempt was made to open mines
upon it, but nothing came of the effort
but disappointment and loss. Among
tho many disagrecable features OF life
in this hot and SCANNING climate is the
presence of large salt ponds, which II
the dry season give out an intolerable
stencil; and the same ponds in the
wet season ill up with singular rapiditJ
and food considerable part Of ths
island
When Schomburgk was on Anegads
many years ago there was one morning
a great out-cry that all the north par
Of the island was flooded; and so to al
appearance it was; but on examination
it was found that the supposed waves
of the sea were in reality only low
living fog which was rapidly sweeping
along. Another curious thing IS th'
aerial ,esraction; and this brings intt
| view other islands which lie below th'
| horizon, aud which, according to th'
! operations Of nature, ought to be IN
visible. A part Of the surface is com
posed of sand dunes, but there Is con
siderable proportion of calcareous, o.
coral land, with belts of fertile loan
and if the soil were intelligentiy ant
faithfully cultivated, it would no doub
yield good returns.
1t would be hard to find anywhere
hotter, wetter, worse-smelling, or more
generally disagreeable place to live II
than Anegada; but singularly enough
! it appears 10 be for the most part
pretty healthy place-at least for tn,
natives. of whom nearly all are blacl
or colored. In the antecolonial day
the Indians used to come hither il
their canoes, and they have left i'm
mense kitchen-mddeus or heaps 0
shells, but no Indian could ever brin:
himself to make a permanent home II
Anegada with its steaminG fogs, 1t
squalls. its sea floods, its fresh waite
inuud:ationS, its strong smells, and II
I dense swarins of insects. .-Inieraco'
Notes end Queries.