Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-15
ISLAND OF ANEGADA.
A Strange Creation of Nature Of the
West Indies.

WeSt tnoieSs
The Island of Anegada Is one Of the
strangest Of all the strange places In
ern angle of the main chain Of the
West Indies, and ters from all the
other islands near IL in being fiat and
low. the neighboring islands all being
steep and mountainous. 1t Is nine
miles long and two miles across. and
lies so low that In heavy gales the
sea makes q clean breach over the
lower portions Of 1t. whence, Its name.
for anegada Is the Spanish for
drowned land"
In 1881 1t had 719 inhabitants, of
whom only three were white people.
Its population Is noted for idleness,
and the main occupation for many
years was wrecking-for an extensive
and very dangerous coral reef sur
rounds the island, and once gave It a
very melancholy notoriety. But since
the establishment of the lighthouse of
Sombrero forty- seven miles to the
eastward), there have been few, II
any. wrecks on Anegada, since the
main cause Of the shipwrecks was the
constant and swift current which sets
upon the island from the east. Ac-
cordingly, the natives are now not Of
ten aroused by the cry Of "a vessel on
the reef!"-the only call in the old
days which would arouse them from
their almost perpetual inactivity.
Anegada used to be covered with
underwood-nOtably of the kind called
seaside grape. which here Is particu-
larly rich in the valuable gum called
Jamaica kino. Anegada is the home
Of very numerous and singular tropi-
cal plants, but 1t Is. perhaps, rather
more noteworthy for its immense num-
bers Of mosquitoes. gallinippers and
scorpions, not to speak Of venomous
and others reptiles. The surrounding
seas are rich In scale and shell fish
Of many kinds. Among its singular
birds the flamingo is one Of the most
numerous species.
1t Is not an easy matter to reach
the island. A few years ago an at
tempt was made to open mines upon
1t. but nothing came Of the effort save
disappointment and loss. Among the
many disagreeable features Of life In
this hot and steaming, climate is the
presence Of large salt ponds, which In
the dry season give out an intolerable
stencil.
When Schomburgk was on Anegada
many years ago there was one morn
ing a great outcry that all the north
part Of the island was flooded, and so
to all appearance 1t was; but on ex-
animation it was found that the sup
posed waves Of the sea were in real
ity only a low-lying fog which was
rapidly sweeping along. Another Gu
rious thing Is the aerial refraction, and
this often brings into view other Is
lands which lie below the horizon, and
which, according to the ordinary oper-
ations Of nature, ought to be invisible.
A part of the surface is composed or
sand dunes, but there Is a considera-
BILE proportion OF calcareous or coral
land. with belts Of fertile loan, and II
the soil were intelligently and faith
fully cultivated. 1t would no doubt
yield good returns. In ordinary sea-
sons the fresh water supply appears
to be ample. On the northeast side
of the island there Is singular sue
cession OF very deep natural wells OF
fresh water. some Of them twenty-five
feet across at the top.
1t would be hard to find anywhere
hotter, wetter. worse e-smGlling. or more
generally disagreeable place to live
in than Anegada but for the most
Part a pretty healthy place-at least
for the natives Of whom nearly all
are black or colOred. In the ante
colonial days the Indians used to come
hither in their canoes. and they have
left immense kitchen middens, or
heaps of shells: but no Indian could
ever bring himself to make perma-
nent home in Anegada with its steam
ing fOgs-BostOn Herald.