Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-04-29
THE BAHAMA ISLANDS.
Hlstoricai and Politics
Facts Not Generally Known.

Geographically, Historical and Political
Facts Not Generally Known.
The Bahama islands form numerous
| group OF the British West Indies, and
extend northwest from San Domingo to
J the southeastern coast OF Florida. The
islands number twenty-nine, of which
twenty are inhabited; there are besides
some e6l Gays Qslets, shoals, or reefs),
| and 1857 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
lnaugua, Harbor Island, Mariguana,
Crooked island, Waiting and Acklin.
The Islands are formed of calcareous
! rocks OF coral and shell hardened into
limestone, honoycombed and perforated
with countless cavities; the crust Is very
hard, but IL is softer underneath, and
the stone Is excelont for building pur-
poses, hardening on exposure. The
shores are generally low, and there are
no mountains in the group. Tho soil is
light but worry productive. Some
OF the Islands have forests OF mahogany,
ngnum vit@, iron and other valuable
woods. Olives, oranges, lemons, lines,
citrons, pine-apples, fgs, bananas, mel
ons, sugar-cane, ginger, coffee, indigo,
cotton and tobacco are grown in abun-
dance. Andres is the only island that
has streams Of running water, the water |
supply coming from wells, which rise
and fall with the neighboring tides.
Wild geese, ducks, pigeons, parrots,
hawks, doves, flamingoes and humming-
birds abound. and tho fish in the neigh
boring waters arc numerous; the turtle
is very fine. The salt ponds in the low
OR 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 IL, 1892. The
natives were peacoable and helpful to
the first explorers, but the rapacious
Spaniards took them from their homes
In tho Bahamas by lying stories and
put them to work In the mines OF the
West Indies, where they persisted
In 1922 some British adj
'enturers found their way to the
and settlement was formed
It New Providence, but in I64I they
we're driven out by the Spaniards. In
667 the British once more took possess
ion, and in 1850 Charles II. made grants
o the Duke Of Albemarle Lord Craven,
ir George Carteret, Lord Beckley. Lord
Ishley and Sir Peter Collector. by whom
he Governors Of the islands were APP
ointed. For years the enmity Of the
paniards and the tyranny OF the Gov
rnors retarded their development De-
cents were made IN 1908 by the French :,
nd Spaniards that destroyed New Prov y
lence, after which II became the resort OF :.
rates. The depredations OF these ruff !. !
ms become intolerable. and the islands II II
ere cleared Of their murderous inhab- IL
lants and respectable colonists substi-
uted. Tho islands were subjected to o.
ttacks during the American revolution, u
hu- the Spaniards from Cuba were In
oSsession for year or two, but they
'ere restored to the British. In 1894
he abolition OF the slave trade IL said va
have retarded the deyelopment Of III
le islands, but that this was Tor ma
ieir permanent benefit there can be il
doubt The bahamas we're notorious
n the blockado-running trade carried
1 between this British port and the
Iuthern Statos. The benefits that came
the bahamas from this traffic were
lort-liyed, and Elusive, as crime in W. v,
oased and sickness became prevalent Pi
October, 1866, hurricane swept over "a
ew Providence, destroying crops and Al
Imaging sponges, then source Of great III
'oht' and this was followed by repeated an
oughts. For civil purposes the colony TO
divided into parishes. In 1860 The oct frt
disestablishing the Church OF En- SCI
and went into effect The government a
the bahamas consists OF Governor, VC