The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25
NEGRO n0rs VINO CAN SWIM.
Their Antics Among the sharks in the Hnrbor
or Nassau.

or Nassau.
I'm no land that I have ever visited. and
have been pretty nearly around the world. are
there more expert wimm in proportion TO
the number Of native Inhabitants than Mt Mas
sau In tae Bahamas" said an Englishm man
who represents a Manchester manufacturine
firm. II have visited the Sandwich Islands.
where the natives are all swimmers. but I "a W
nothing there to compare with the exhibitions
at Nassau. The harbor has n coral bottom,
and the water Ia so clear that from a boat you
may see plainly the fish moving around at a
depth OF twenty or thirty feet. The effect is
weird when one sees II for the first time. and
when cour boatnnn tells you that Won are look
ing through that depth of water you are likely
to be skept;cal. Sharks may be seen at almost
any time OF day. and sometimes half a dozen
or more are poking their ugly fins above the
water. Apparently they don't interior. in
tie least with the sport OF the co!orcd boys.
The regular paesenEe. steamer don; put in
at the Custom House doak as a rule. They
anchor out about a quarter OF a mile. ard lie
tran Ter OF passengers and baggage is mndc on a
small tend-T Ten miautes after had land
70; se" oa %si!s to p Sss M mr ,T5D Tor the ns SpS ton
very black. who wore only a pair OF trousers,
and Hpparsn,!I bad heen delega,ed b. a score
OF oth"r small bows 10 act As Spokesman, sided
W. TO m" and said in a SOFT negro d~ialect:
,B.toh y a.! 20 ui-a-long Won't To' please
Ai''N t'ShN IL " uSE
Where shall I throw it, I said. and whrr
RiEht in thcah. seh.' said tae hny. point
Ing 70 he water off the DICK. AN wen dive
Put, there is a shark out there I replied.
pointing TO a wicked looking ha.
eiacula ted the boz expres-iyely.
He caynt catch ctlo-ed folks
The other boys were waitiuC for the out
come OF our conversation. and thinking that l
would tak. them br surp-lse I suddenly threw
q small! piece OF silver fifty feet out from the
before there was n great splash. ami ths hova
had gone under simultaneously. IL was a recu.
Kept on with his "oTio" Al nno % ,S 1lh sss: and he
However. crowded to The edse o: TIE dock and
cazed With interest at the spectacle beneath
the coin like a school OF fishes. nad 80 clear
wa:the water tnat. Notwithstanding the fact
evea their expressions could he dIscerned. II
was a neck-an"-neck race for three Of the lads.
;ussle with the other two before he could SresE
away ald bring 1t TO the surface. The other
hHHh5 oP p3S up after mis-, and as each boy
sci n shake Ike IA dog and. behold, he WAS
dry. For halt an honr the boys were kept diving
for small ,oins. md their antics under the water
were amusing. They were AS mu>h nj home
there as the fsh. and they didn't seem TO tire
OF the SPORT
On the morning when I left Nassau two
friends or mine decided that they would come
Sat on the tsnde: With me TO my shin. / hal
the natives. particularly the small col0rrd
BOYS. that one of these friends said that he |
- ~ LOT my /
benefit. When ! reached the tender I was su =.
pris6d To see that the deck was black with boys.
whose ages might have ranged from about
four years to ten.
all these bows asked.
Wait until we get a hundred yards from
shore and III show YOU. said nv friend. They
have been engaged BY me al five cents a head
TO-. a little game OF my own
the tender pulled out the BOYS began 70
grin In anticipation. They climbed up % the
npper deck, "f the small boat and waited for
the Inn To begin.
Now said my friend. here are inst three
OF US IN this game, AMI the man who loses
stands a round OF brandy aad soda when we
get aboard; The object OF the game Is 10 throw
enn. The Captain here will keep count, and
the man who thro rs the fewest loses. Just
the rall. N"w then. one. two. three. begin"
The sight that fo!loy oil was ludicrous. The
ooys were willing missiles, but as you had 10
make sure OF their clearing tho lower deck. II
became heavy work after the third or fourth
noS, n1r about three minutes the air seemed
thrower,s hands in all kinds OF positions. but
they struck the water each boy had mai
down eithcr-head first or feet frst. Their ALL.
Nv was wonderful, and even the little Kids
four and five years old acted like trained gym
that he was picked up until his head sank he.
noises was appeliinG. NV friends weie OK.
The smaller bows first. and ! lost. When thew
overboard a line OF binck heads marked
our course rom the dock. Each urchil was pnt.
mat he might spend thr five cents that he had
armed. Ny friends told NJ that the colored
ha srtapm a sGo ,hai any Any, f len, OF the SHARKS in
me OF them had boen drowned. They are
'hpe'y "xnSrt and tho spectacle OF
u, the water always CON cs 10 in my mind
Sheh ! hear Nassau mentioned"