The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-04-10
THE ISLES OF JUNE.
HOW THE BAHAMAS CAN BE
REACHED.
Information Relative to the
West Indies and Personal Expert
enceS on These Tropical
Islands.
CowANTowY, March 30th, 1897.

ably detained in Nassau, by the wrecking of
the Florida boat the "City of Monticello" |
had no chance to send them sooner, and was
prevented from finishing another letter that
I had in contemplation; a letter of general
information to those readers of the WING,
who would like or contemplate trip to that
lovely country.
| have been asked by numerous people
since | came home, if we ever knew what
became of the "Carlton Bell" the disabled
schooner we undertook to tow into Nassau.
You will remember we lost her sometime
during Sunday night. January 3lst, and
looked for her nearly all of Monday without
success. l asked Capt. Montell, on Monday
evening, what he thought of the Carlton Bell.
and his answer in Il very careless manner was
was, "Oh, she's likly gone to the bottom.'
This put Il damper ON our feelings, and can
assure you we all felt pretty blue for tho
balance of the voyage, when we thought of
those five poor fellows and their probable
fate. Nor We're we fully relieved until just
one week after our arrival. the Carlton Bell,
came over the bar and anchored in front of
nearly three weeks getting her necessary
repairs.
To anyone intending making IL trip to the
Bahamas, | would say he can do so, on as
little or much money as he cares to spend, not
of course going below a certain limit. He
can always have II choice of two routes, and
in winter of three. There is the Bahama S.
York city once IL mOnth, rates $50 single, or
$50 for the round trip. The New York and
Cuba Mail s. S. Co., rates $40 single or $40
for the round trip. This line runs every two
weeks. During the winter, commencing on
January lst, the Florida boat commence run
ming with two trips per week. During Feb
ruary and March she makes three trips from
Nassau to Miami, Florida. Going this way
will cost from 59G to :136 round trip You
90 from Philadelphia or Baltimore to Miami,
Florida, by rail- then cross from Miami to
Nassau 10y boat. On this trip you are about
1G hours at sea. The n. y. and Cuba line
takes about four days and the Bahamas Co.,
about four and half days. On tn" Cuban
boats you will have little more room. other
wise the fare and accommodations of the
steamship lines are about equal
Nassau rs Il winter resort is all that could
be desired and as health resort can not be
equaicd. The climate is perfect, and in ad
diton to the hotel accommodations, there are
numerous boarding houses at prices to suit
all. 1t is n place, therefore, where the man
in moderate circumstances. and even the poor
man, can enjoy the delights of IA tropical
country as well as the rich.
The Royal Victoria Hotel, owned by the
government and run at present by MIR. Morton
of New York. is the largest hotel in the West
indies. The terms are rs advertised from
$3.50 to a per day and upwards. At this
season of the its generally land upwards as
| all the -. so and "A rooms are taken. At the
Carthagena House. the American Hotel Sea
View and Mansion House, the terms range
| from 52 to 50 per day. There are numerou
boarding houses with prices from $40 to sl5
per week. Carriages take you anywhere in
| the city for II cents or can be hired by the
hour at shillngs per hour. The drivers are
very polite, but make your own change il
| you want your cash account to balance.
| Boats to the Sea Gardens can be had at all
| prices. depending on the number of passen-
| gers and the size and kind of boat you want
| from 2 shllings to shillings per head. Bicy-
cles can be hired here by the hour, day or
| week, but if you have one. and are going to
stay any length of time, bring it with you, as
it will cost nothing on ship. You pay spe-
cifc duty of 5 shilings at Nassau, but this
will be refunded when you come away. This
! is II paradise for wheelmen. Better roads are
found nowhere in the world, and there are
numerous excursions you can make awheel
that would cost considerable if you hire car
riages to make them. Lake Killarney about
five miles distant from Nassau. is worthy of a
visit The Ballou Hills about three miles
interest. Also Lake Cunningham, with its
beautiful little Mangrove islands is another of
the sights. A wheel trip that will be interest
| ing and instructive also will be by the road
| through Grantstown to the south side of the
island. After leaving Ballou Hills, the road
leads you through forests of pine woods and
Palmettos and gives you an opportunity to
portion of the island. Near the south side of
the island near u large cocoanut grove, is Il
natural reservoir of fresh water 1t is called
the "Mermaids POOL 1t is on II rocky plain,
perfectly level. 1t is about 200 yards in
diameter and 60 feet deep, without banks;
the water has depth of 30 feet at the very
edge. This is remarkable from tho fact that
the sea is so shallow it would be necessary to
go three miles from shore at this point before
depth equal to the Mermaid Pool could be
reached. 1t is great curiosity, and but a
short distance from Nassau and yet 1t is almost
unknown to the residents of the city.
A drive or trip awheel through Grantstown
is novelty with its bananas, oranges and
cocoanuts growing in every yard. Its African
cabins, half hidden in the tropical foliage, its
little stands in the streets for the sale of sugar
cane, fruit, homemade candy, etc. 1t is all
practically one city. Nassau divided by a