New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-22


Johns Hopkins Press) The Macmillan Company
The results of the observations made by the
large expedition sent out by the Geographical
Society of Baltimore in 1903 to make detailed
study of the islands of the Bahama group, are
at last presented to the public in a handsome II
somewhat formidable. shape The stated object
of the expedition was to investigate the origin
and natural history Of the islands, and also TO
conduct studies along lines intimately associ-
ated with the welIbeing Of the inhabitants
The trip made in a hundred-ton schooner.
which touched at various ports Of a number or
the more northerly islands. Unfortunately.
storms, headwndS and Gains delayed the out
ward voyage TO such an extent that only five
weeks were available for active field work. the
shortness of time preventing the party from Wis
iting the more southern islands and from max
ing their studies as exhaustive was desired
Incomplete as the record necessarily is, the pa
! pers here printed many Of them embodying the
results of extended laboratory work subsequent
to the return Of the expedition, give the most
comprehensive and encyclopedia view Of the ISL
ands that has ever been prepared.
The work is in no sense a popular one. al
though the reports on Photography and
| Geology" Soils" Sanitary Conditions" and
History" are written in an agreeable, lucid
style. and the editor furnishes at the close an
article on Some General Considerations re-
lating to the islands No attempt however. is
made TO reconcile some curious discrepancies
between the statements Of certain investigators.
! For instance. DR.. L. o. Howard. chief entomol-
! ogist Of the Department of Agriculture. who
! writes the introduction to Mr. Collins report
/ Mosquitoes" concludes that because of the
/ absence Of any varieties Of anopheles ano-
phelini. the islands are free from malaria, and
that owing TO the widespread presence Of speci-
]
measures against yellow fever on the part of
| the islands should be rigorous" Yet DR.. Pen
rose. in his interesting report on the sanitary
! conditions, declares that malaria is prevalent
and that no case Of yellow fever has been
known on any of the islands for over forty
! years!
One important result of the expedition has
| been practically to settle the question Of the
! typographical history of the group, about which
| there has hitherto been considerable divergence
Of opinion Professor Shattuck concludes that
there was a period when the islands stood at
| least three hundred feet higher than they do at
present, and when, of course the dry land area
was much greater than It is to-day. At that
time the limestone rock Of which the Bahamas
| are composed was dissolved into caverns and
grottoes. such as are found in the Shenandoah
Valley and in Florida The land then sunk to
position about fifteen feet lower than it is to-
day, subsequently, rising; but whether it is still
rising or undergoing another submergence it is
impossible to determine Connected with these
now submarine caverns a very interesting phe-
nomenon peculiar to the islands is the presence
| Of several deep ocean holes or blue holes" as
they are called, from the color OF the water in
them, in contrast to the green hue Of the shall
lows that cover the banks Professor shattuck
gives his experience at one Of these holes
/
/ anchor for the night close by. The boat, she
tbe boIa vas covered with circular mass ~ foan,
! about fifteen feet in diameter rotating slowly In
| a direction contrary to the hands of a watch. All
tance at which the boat stood that the surface Of
! the water above the hole sagged and took
and rowed cautiously toward the ocean hole As
! was caught in the whirlpool and moved slowly
! round and round with the motion of the water.
meath could be distinctly and it evident
as the tide was flowing. that this ocean hole COM
siby on the island Of Andres. and that the water
! md its way into unknown parts The walls of
| this ocean hole were lined with living coral and
marine plants An attempt made at sounding.
but the lead did not succeed In reaching bottom.
Sponge fishing. agriculture and winter board
ers are the chief industries of the islands to-
day, sponges, pineapples and grapefruit being its
/ leading exports the boarders being imported
and cared for at two handsome hotels at New
! Providence on the island of Nassau. The eli
/ mate is renarka bly, equable, although not espe-
! cially bracing. and the trade winds afford an
| agreeable relief from the heat of the sun even
| in the summer. Owing to the Ignorance Of the
/ inhabitants. a large proportion Of whom are
negroes the cultivation OF the soil is not gener-
| ally carried on to the best advantage: the meth
! DDS OF shipping the fruits, which form the prin-
cipal staples are extremely crude. and the prices
| realized are often too low to be profitable This
evil could readily be corrected by sorting and
! Grating as exempfed in the case of a raiser OF
/ shaddocks who gets good prices in New-York
markets for his crops by taking this simple
! precautlon which the majority of the natives are
| too lazy or careless to observe. The majority Of
! the population are content produce enough
| for their own simple needs, which be done
with a minimum Of effort. So little surplus
wealth and intelligence have they that not one
| OF I outlying islands is able to send a repre-
| sentative to the Colonial Assembly electing in
stead residents of Nassau. which is OF itself
entitled To eight Of the twenty-nine members
One Of the crying needs of the islands is the
/ establishment of some sort Of a medical mission
such as that conducted by DIR Grenfen for the
Labrador "Iveyeres" and fishermen. Leprosy
abounda. no rigorous means for It's segregation