The Republican journal., 1907-04-11

out your purse to know how it tastes
of New Providence Island but the orr
gin of the name may not be so we'll un
derstood. An intrepid Captain Sayle
who had explored many islands, on one
of his daring voyages narrowly escaped
drowning nearby. Gratitude for his
deliverance from an untimely death
prompted him to call the island Provi
dence, to which the prefix New was
added later on. The island was strong
ly fortified and its grim old battlements
are even now interesting and pictur.
esque. Fort Charlotte, at the entrance
of the harbor, established in 1741, is the
oldest. The Florida East Coast Com
pany now use it's grounds for its golf
links. Fort Montague at the eastern
end of the harbor, was also built in 1741
and Fort Fincastle in 1850.
The Public Library is a very pic
turesque octagoned shaped building
with huge dome; it was originally a
prison and in the cool alcoves where
are the 10000 excellent volumes of the
Nassau Library, blockade runners and
other evil-doers were formerly i'm
prisoned, and from my point of view
the present librarian should be there
now.
Any one leaving Nassau without a
visit to the Marine Gardens has great
cause for regret; it is one Of the in
describable things one must see for
himself Our party of eight stepped
on board little launch with glass bot
toned boat in tow and one afternoon
after a delightful sail of five miles
through water which seemed like
liquid rain-bows, we reached the spot.
There the gentlemen of the party
clambered into the small boat which
was an inferior one compared with the
boats Of that description on the Pacific,
while the ladies remained on the launch.
The water was so clear and transparent
one did not need to look through glass,
and we moved slowly through the
water gazing with admiration at the
wonders of the deep, forgetful of every
thing else. Shells, corals, fish and all
kinds of marine vegetation lay there be-
fore us as visible to the naked eye as
the stars in the heavens.
The gardens of the Atlantic are very
different from those of the Pacific and
beautiful as they are, the preference
must. | think, 90 to the Pacific. There
gold fish are seen in quantities and the
plant life and vegetation is much more
luxuriant.
To attempt anything like descrip-
ton of the wonderful ever-changing
colors of the water in the harbor of
Nassau would be useless. No pen
could give any idea of it. Nowhere
else can its counterpart be found, T am
told. Artists have experimental for
years to reproduce those irridescent
colors in manner that would satisfy
themselves, and are still trying. Our
talented young artist, II. L. Woodcock,
has at last succeeded in portraying
some good representation of its beauties,
still his northern friends will say
Hart has been too lavish with his
paint" Not SO; the pictures are not
over-drawn in the slightest, rather fall
short of tine reality.
Then trip must be made to Hog
Island which lies directly opposite
Nassau. Fruits of all description grow
there in profusion. A large row boat,
manned by two stalwart negroes, takes
you across and upon payment of 25
cents the freedom of the island is ac-
corded you. Long tables are spread
out and oranges by the barrel are peel
ed and stuck on sticks and you are at
liberty to eat your fill; you eat till you
are ashamed, then walk over to the
other side of the island where those
who wish can don bathing suit and
plunge into the foaming surf. firing
of that you return and enjoy another
feast &"
clog Island" "What's in a name?"
| ate five and supposed | had distin-
guished myself but learned had fallen
far short of right to full membership.
You can never know how easy it is to
dispose of half dozen oranges IN that
way till you try it. They were the
most delicious l ever tasted and GER
tainly it is the cleanest, incest way to
eat an orange; it is decided improve
ment on spoon. The genial proprietor
told us they often prepared 1900 Or
anges for the day. Other fruits, cocoa
nuts, grapefruit and shaddocks are
prepared for you if you wish.
Among the many curious sights we
''took in" was genuine ''cake walk. !"
Every year the walters of the Hotel
Colonial give one of their unique en-;
| tertainments consisting of vocal and
the famous dancing contest for the
cake. There were six contrasting couple,
each couple named and labeled for one
of the United States, and Solomon in
all his glory was not arrayed like one
of Theses" they we're gotten up regard
less. AS the dancing progressed the
excitement grew more intense and |
hardly think the frequenters of the
Stock Exchange ever screamed louder
| than the interested outsiders here
New York and Pennsylvania were
soon all that were in the contest and it
was a question which would win.
Pennsylvania finally took the cake"
1t was a curious assembly, ladies in
their handsome costumes sat side by
side with brown natives of Nassau,
/ also in their best, but taken as whole
it was wonderfully funny
On your first drive when the little
darkies come around your carriage with
hands extended for pennies you are at
tracted and think it very pretty feat
ure of foreign life, and scatter the
coins lavishly. But when this is re-
peated every time you step out of doors,
whether walking or riding, and have a
score of half naked children chase and
hang on behind your carriage for quar-
ter of mile or more, screaming for
pennies, the scales fall from your eyes
and you declare them an in tolerable
nuisance. Little tots, hardly able to
run alone, their mothers guiding them
by their skirts, if they chance to have
any on, show that they are early train
ed to the business.