The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-08-24
THE BAHAMA ISLANDS.
Sights That First Attract the
Newcomers Attention.
Each of the Islands a Vast Lump or
A.. Coral Rock-A Visit to the Nassau
Fish Marlzet-Prosperity That Came
and Went with the Civil War
Eoss-Grown and luminous Old Forts.


and Went with the Civil War
Moss Grown and luminous Old Forts.
The sea voyage from New York to
Nassau in the Bahamas is made in three
or four days. 1t is made without pause,
and is nearly always an agreeable and
pleasant one. The steamers are roomy
and comfortable, their officers courteous
and attentive, and if the voyage is made
in winter the change which the traveller
experiences is as abrupt as it is delight
full. Hour by hour, as the steamer speeds
southwark, all the time leaving the At
lantic Coast farther to leeward, the tenn
perature constantly rises. The blocks OF
ice seen first on every hand soon disap-
pear. and playful, sportive dolphlns,
which leap from the water and run races
with the swift steamer, take their place.
Sea and sky assume the deepest blue, and
the latter, cloudless by day, by night is
brilliant with myriads Of sparkling stars.
The heavy clothing, which short time
ago was none too warm for comfort. be-
comes oppressive. In two days winter
melts into the lap of spring. On the
afternoon of the second day Cape Hat
teras is passed fifty miles to the west
ward, and the first land seen after Sandy
Hook, the Highlands and Cape May, are
lost sight of, is the island OF Abaco, the
largest of the Bahamas. Abaco is gener-
rally passed in the early morning of the
third day out. a couple Of hours later
Fort Charlotte, on the northern side OF
the island of New Providence, rises slowly
above the horizons edge, and soon alter
noon the steamer rounds Hog Island, and
drops anchor in Nassau harbor. The
first thing that attracts the attention of
the new conner is the water of tie harbor.
1t is transparent in its clearness, and the
white bottom, thirty-tive feet below, is
seen as in mirror. The sun shines re-
splendantly. The air, stirred by grateful
breeZes, is warm and balmy. In three
days December has turned into June.
FIRST IMPRESSION OF NASSAU.
Landing is made at wharf of coral
limestone, and ascending a flight Of steps
one finds ones self in the public park of
Nassau, a tiny plot OF ground planted
with trees and flowers, and streWn with
benches. Colored people of all ages and
sexes are Longing lazlly about, on the
benches, on the ground and among the
roots of a monster celba or cotton tree.
White is the color that dominates the
scene-a dazzling White, made all the
more glaring by contrast with the deep
green of the trees and shrubs. The peo-
pie are dressed in white, the stone of
which the houses and walls are built is
white, and SO is the soil Of the surround
ing yards and gardens.
1T is but short walk from the wharf to
the Royal Victoria Hotel. In easy chairs
upon the broad Verandas ladies and gen
1lemen are reading, chatting, or gently
doing, while a crowd OF noisy cOl0red
people rushed forward to press their
wares, fruit, flowers, sponges, canes, fish
and knicknacks, made OF straw and shell,
upon the attention or the new conner.
Whether you buy or not these dusky
merchants laugh, shout and are happy.
The Royal Victoria, the property of the
Government, is credit and an honor to
the Bahamas. 1t is four stories i'll hight,
with verandas surrounding all but the
highest story. A cupola surmounts the
roof, from which fine view of Nassau
and the surrounding sea and islands is
obtained. The hotel is under the man
agement of an energetic American, and is
admirably conducted.
Upon the day of my arrival at Nassau,
after dinner and short rest, | started out
for first look at the capital of the Bahia
mas. The city is built upon the side of a
hill about one hundred feet high and
faces the north and the sea. Upon the
summit of the hill is the Governors
house, roomy but not imposing, sur
rounded by beautiful and carefully
tended grounds. Just below is the Royal
Victoria Hotel. On the other side of the
hill is Grantstown, curious and inter-
esting suburb, peopled entirely by ne
groeS. The population of Nassau is about
live thousand, and comprises nearly half
the residents of the island of New ProYi-
dence. The natives seem to have an in
stinctive dread of living outside the town,
and will undergo all sorts of hardShiDS in
order to make their homes in the city,
while some of the finest country places
on the island remain without tenants.
This aversion to country life possesses
alike both white and colord people.
SIGHTS AND SCENES IN NASSAU TOWN.
The water front of Nassau is something
over two miles in length. The four prin-
cipal streets run parallel with the shore,
each little higher up the hill than the
other. They are crossed by dozen or
more shorter streets, all leading TO the
wharf. Bay street, the main business
thoroughiare, lies nearest 10 the shore
For more than mile it is lined on one
side with shops, and stores and ware
houses, and on the other side by the sea.
The streets, incloSed by stone walls, glo-
rious with flowers and creeping vines,
are all level, smooth and white, delight
ful to walk and ride upon, and whatever
the direction in which you walk you are
sure to encounter tiny but interesting
shops, quaint white houses hidden away
among palm, cork, almond, cinnamon,
olive, logwood, mahogany and orange
trees and now and then a pretty little
church, for all the leading denominations
are represented i'll Nassau.
New Providence, like all the Bahama
islands, is vast lump of coral rock and
this rock, from which the people also
build their houses, has only to be broken
up with a pick and crowbar to become
capable of producing nearly everything
that grows in the tropics, and plants and
fruits grow there with rapidity and lux
uriance that surprises and astonish the
visitor from the north. Peas, lettuce and
radishes are ready for the kitchen three
weeks after the seed has been Sown, and
they flourish >all the year around The
bewildering variety of fruits and vegeta-
bles produced in the rocky soil Of the Ba-
hamas, is most vividiy shown by visit
10 the Nassau market. This market is
held every morning in a large open
building on Bay street. The vendors.
colored people OF both sexes, the women
predominating. number hundreds. The
wares they offer for sale on trays spread
out on the ground have been raised in
garden plots of an acre or two, and
brought to market on the heads OF the
sellers before the sun was up. Two Eng
lish shillings buys the entire stock
of the most pretentious market woman.
and if her mornings sales amount to q
shilling she will trudge home contented
and happy, knowing that the few pen
Eies in her pocket will provide for ali the
needs of to-day, and that tomorrow can.
with safety, be left TO take OF itself
The list of articles offered for sale on
almost any morning of the year is a long
one. Besides the fruits and vegetables
one can buy in a northern market, there
are cocoanuts, pineapples, custard APP