The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-28
III L OF JUNE
BIZ. Crews Writes of His S~ight-Seefns
in Nassau and ON New Providence
island.
Nassau. n. P, January Is

Editor Messenger:
After mailing a letter and some Mas
sau papers to you yesterday I visited
Fart Charlotte, a massive fo~rtifcation
hewn out of the solid rock on the hill
west Of the town about a mile. This
fort was completed in 17S8 and was
named after Queen Charlotte. From
this fort another fine view is had OF the
island and he ocean.
On this trip I also went through the
city market and the fish market which
are separate buildings. In these build
ings 1 a a view of the great variety
of fruits and vegetables grown on the
island, as well as a sight of the many
kinds Of fish which abound In the sur
rounding waters.
From a window of my room where I
am writing 1 stop now and then to
look out on the strangest looking water
that 1 have ever seen. 1 will let the
Standard Guide describe this for you:
1.-The feature of Nassau which is most
pleasing is the wonderfully brilliant
coloring of the sea, in shades of green
and pink, purple n blue, in all the
rich tones and combinations and
IldASciHS Chc1lS u IL shy dnC CLOUDS
at n The coloring is due in part
to the character of the bottom; a sand
bottom gives the light color, and the
stretches of vegetable growth gives the
dark shading. The sheltered harbor.
the shining beaches of outlying keys,
with the vivid green of their verdure
tCAnd the deepening tones of the sea,
blending in the distance with the sky,
so that one may not determine when
the sea ends and the sky beginS-all
this, as the sun lowers in the west, af-
cords an enhancing scene, to look upon
which is the rarest pleasure in Nassau
and the best remembered picture of a
holiday in the Bahamas"
On my way out to Fort Charlotte 1
saw the wild cotton bush or tree, with
the bolls open Tt very much re-
sembies the cotton grown in the states.
L also saw the silk cotton tree, which
stands near the public buildings and
which is one Of the strange sights of
Nassau. on account Of it's peculiar for
nation near the ground.
Later in the day 1 went down to see
the boat from Miami come in. She is
a British ship temporarily in the SER
vice of the Peninsula and Occidental
Company. She brought over many
passengers and L received some mail by
her forwarded to me from Miami,
among which were several copies OF
The Messenger which 1 highly appreci-
ated ON account of the news they con-
tanned about the happenings in both
the Carolinas, etc..
From there / visited the great Colo
NAL hotel, the grounds, trees, plants,
buildings, and furnishings of which it
would take a good sized DOC to de-
scribe, if it could be described at all.
L was shown through the various din
ing rooms of which there are a dozen
or more: the kitchen store room. etc.
r VraG told that from the hIIUinpr of the
ground to the completion of the build
ing n grounds the outlay was nearly
$40 0 600.
This is 200 p. m. and 1 am just in
from the Prince Edwards to see her
start on her return trip to Miami, and
from the Hotel Royal Victoria. 1 was
carried by elevator to the top floor and
thence by steps to the top of the build
ing This hotel is situated on high
ground and when on top of the building
the view of the island and the ocean is
one of the finest in the city, and I felt
that this view of this Isle Of June,
the domain of His majesty Edward OF
the United Kingdom, was worth mucn
of the time and none spent to enable
me to enjoy the grand and indescrib-
able scene which was now spread out
before my eyes.
In Nassau one can roam about, it is
said. either by day or night without
the least fear of interference, and I
have found it so. Like all British pos
sessions, the city is thoroughly policed
by the c~onstabulary. who are always
polite and ready to give all sorts of in
formation. The force is composed
mostly of colored natives, and there is
no drunkenness or bad conduct on the
the streets that 1 ave noticed The
colored population is composed of the
most courteous and polite of their kind
The streets and roads are mad of
nnrn1inn rnnE on6 Ennt in fna or
der. Interest is enhanced by many
strange and novel sights-in the way in
which the buildings are constructed.
the shape OF the streets, etc, and the
flower gardens, n the great number OF
rare tropical flowers and trees growing
and blooming on all sides makes the
scene enchanting.
OF the ten great hotels of the Florida
East Coast Company, known as the
FIagler hotels, 1 have now seen all but
two-The Continental, at Atlantic
Beach, near Jacksonville, and the Or
mon at Ormond
Many readers of The Messenger no
doubt remember what a reputation
Nassau had during the civil war, be-
tween the states. as being the head
quarters for blockade runners who sail
cd from here to run the blockade Of
Confederate ports. 1t Is said that for
tunes were made here in the business;
that there were as many as three hun
dred vessels arrived and left here in
that business in one year and that the
value of Nassau's imports n exports
in one year amounted to $50 600. 900. l
was talking with a gentleman today
who told me he was in business here
during those days and that he had his
safe full of gold and sometimes more
han he could put in it, and that wher
sailors were paid off they sometimes
had their hats full of gold. and that
money was in great abundance.
This is Monday morning the goth and
l am going to leave Nassau today on
the steamship Segurance of the New
York and Cuba line direct for Santiago
Cuba. N will not go back by Miami.
as l expected to do. 1 hope TO reach
Santiago in two days.
On yesterday and last night 1 attend
ed services at the Presbyterian church
in with Mr.. Edwards Of Can
ada. and Mr.. Mirich. OF Boston This
is q small church with an organ gallery