The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-05-04
SIMPLE BUT FINE
SKETCH OF THE METROPOLIS OF THE
BAHAMA ISLANDS.
No Sidewalks, No Fences, No Vehicles, No
Ice Water, but Plenty of Fruit, Fish.
Mosquitoes and Gina Curious Form of
Speech.
Ispeciai Correspondence.l


HARBoR ISLAND, Bahamas, April 81
Harbor island is a Bahama metropolis
Given a harbor, score Of implanted one
story houses. an amphibious population,
and we have a Bahama city. Establish a
port of entry there, paint some of the dwell
ings, and we have a metropolis.
A bay of crystal water stretches in front
Of it. The sails of small boats fieck the
surface everywhere bringing the lower
end of the bay is the town. The houses are
many of them white, and the sunlight on
them is perfectly dazzling They are con-
structed along the side Of a slight eleva-
bon. Cocoa palms and other tropical
plants grow luxuriantly, and in the center
Of the mass of white and green floats the
red flag of England over the customs build
Ing.
Barnum's circus in Billville did not re-
ceive greater homage than did we Yankees
when we strolled through this settlement.
/ suppose we set the fashions in Harbor
island for the next decade. The streets are
lanes and wind about in the most unbiased
manner. OF course there are no sidewalks.
Who ever heard of sidewalks in the BAHIA
mas? AS there are no vehicles, pedestrians
have the right of way. By daylight the
citizens are out on the bay, and the old men
and women and most of the darkies are in
doors, away from the sun. Everything is
wrapped in a Sabbath stiffness. Occasion
ally lad passes along with some pines in
his arms. Business is not rushing here
Harbor island never had BOOM There
are two stores, with a curious and often an
tique variety of goods. Glass is an ipcon-
10 lrry baU has
en- shutters, usually closed to keep out the
mosquitoes. The two grogshops shut
promptly at S each evening. Ice was never
seen by these people, and drinks are not as
refreshing as some l have tasted. Gin is
the staple liquid absorbed.
Two very pretty stone churches aid the
populace to worship God. One of these has an
iron fence around it. Now, fences are almost
as rare in the Bahamas as sidewalks But
Harbor island has two or three and in
this alone deserves the title of metropolis.
The population is about half and half, with
the blacks feeling themselves the superior.
The principal occupation is farming for
pines" Cpineapples) and going to sea-"
Many schooneTs are constructed at Harbor
island. and on the beach in front of the
town there is always a vessel on the stocks
Nassau, 10 miles away, Key West, Balti-
more and New York are visited by a few of
the men. When the voyagers return, all
Harbor island fiocks to the dock to hear
about the world
Back of the village, over the hill, is
magnificent beach, wide solid reach of
glistening sand, and the great surge of surf
rolling up along it for mile. There are
some wells, with brackish water, near here
Two white roads connect the wells and the
town Dark skinned. jolly young men and
maidens traverse these highways and bear
frkins of water on their heads. At night
great lantern beetles fash on every side.
Then, too, boys and girls seek the beach,
where they frolic for hours in the breakers