Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-02-05
THE BAHAMA ISLANDS.
Geographically, Historical and Political
Facts Not Generally Known.

O6OKTaOR1CaIkys
Facts Not Generally Known.
The Bahama islands form numerous
group of the British West Indies, and
extend northwest from San Domingo to
the southeastern coast of Florida. The
islands number twenty-nine, of which
twenty are inhabited; there are besides
some 661 Gays (islets, shoals, or reefs),
and 2, 3S7 rocks; their area is estimated
at $3.50 square miles. The principal
islands are New Providence, Great Ba-
hama, Abaco, Eleuthera, San Salvador,
Exuma, Andres, Long Island, Great
Inaugua, Harbor Island, Mariguana,
Crooked island, Waiting and Acklin.
The Islands are formed of calcareous
rocks of coral and shell hardened into
limestone, honeycombed and perforated
with countless cavities; the crust is very
hard, but it is softer underneath, and
the stone is excellent for building pur-
poses, hardening on exposure. The
shores are generally low and there are
no mountains in the group. The soil is
light but very productive. Some
of the islands have forests of mahogany,
lignum vitae, iron and other valuable
citrons, pine-apples, figs, bananas mel
ons, sugar-cane, ginger, coffee, indigo,
cotton and tobacco are grown in album
dance. Andres is the only island that
has streams of running water, the water
supply coming from wells, which rise
and fall with the neigh boring tides.
Wild geese, ducks, pigeons, parrots,
hawks, doves, flamfngoes and humming-
birds abound, and the fish in the neigh
boring waters are numerous; the turtle
is very fine. The salt ponds in the low
er islands are valuable. Nassau, the
seat of government, is in the island of
New Providence, and has the only safe
harbor for vessels drawing more than
nine feet. San Salvador claims the
honor of having been the land discov-
cred by Columbus October II, 1892. The
natives were peace able and helpful TO
the first explorers, but the rapacious
Spaniards took them from their homes
in the Bahamas by lying stories and
put them to work in the mines of the
West Indies, whore they persisted
miserably. In 1929 some British ad-
venturers found their way to the
Bahamas and a settlement was formed
at New Providence, but in 1641 they
were driven out by the Spaniards. In
1867 the British once more took possess
sion, and in 1850 Charles II. made grants
to the Duke of Albemarle, Lord Craven,
Sir George Carteret Lord Beckley, Lord
Ashley and Sir Peter Colleton, by whom
the Governors of the islands were ap-
pointed. For years the enmity of the
Spaniards and the tyranny of the Gov
ernors retarded their development De-
scents were made in 1908 by the French
and Spaniards that destroyed New Prov
idence, after which it became the resort of
pirates. The depredations of these ruff
ans become intolera BILE, and the islands
were cleared of their murderous inhab-
ltants and respectable colonists substi-
tuted. The islands were subjected to
attacks during the American revolution,
and the Spaniards from Cuba were in
possession for year or two, but they
were restored to the British. In 1884
the abolition of the slave trade is said
to have retarded the development of
the islands, but THAI this was for
their permanent benefit there can be
no doubt. The Bahamas were notorious
for the Notwithstanding trade carried
on between this British port and the
Southern States. The benefits that came
to the Bahamas from this traffic, were
Short-lived, and Elusive, as crime in
creased and sickness became prevalent.
In October, 1866, a hurricane swept over
New Providence, destroying crops and
damaging sponges, then a source of great
profit, and this was followed by repeated
droughts. For civil purposes the colony
is divided into parishes. In 1869 the act
of disestablishing the Church of En-
gland went into effect. The government
of the Bahamas consists of a Governor,
aided by an executive council, legis-
lative council and representative as
sembly. The population of the islands
was 43, 521 in 1881, a very large number
of the inhabitants being colored. There
are Wesleyan, Baptist, Church of En-
gland and Presbyterian churches. The
schools are numerous, and some of the
leading Gnes are under government con-
troll. New Providence is the center of
the commercial, political, religious and
educational life of the islands, and has
many of the modern institutions, such
as banks, libraries, charitable societies,
lodges, press, etc.-Chicago Inter-Oceam.
STRAW-MEN IN HISTORY.