SCHOPF AMERICAN TRAVELS. 



and thick, and with their stiff and prickl_y leaves make an impenetrable 

 hedge. In addition, their beautiful blooms offer a splendid prospect 

 to the eye, and their sweet, mucilaginous fruit is said to be a mild 

 purgative. The orchards contain little besides lemon and orange trees. 

 The latter, the sweet as well as the sour, are thought to be especially 

 good, even better than the West Indian. But the sour are the most 

 raised. The expressed juice is sold at i Spanish dollar the gallon. Of 

 both sorts there are very strong and handsome trees, yielding annually 

 3-4-500 oranges. I saw no apple or pear trees, and only a few peach 

 and plum trees. 



The Florida star-anis tree (Illicium Horidannm L.) is found in the 

 neighborhood, but is not so plentiful as in West Florida. 



In certain parts of Florida the culture of the Sesanium oriental e has 

 been attempted, and the seed found to be so heavy that a bushel, 

 English measure, gave more than 25 pounds of oil, not only pleasant to 

 the taste but vaulable because it does not easily grow rancid. 



Bahama Islands. 



[II, 422-435.1 The character of the surface makes the working 

 of the land somewhat difficult, and this may be the reason why so many 

 plantations on the island lie deserted and so many houses are in ruins. 

 The situation of this island [Providence], and the number of other is- 

 lands still uninhabited but supplied with various kinds of timber, opened 

 to the settlers other less tedious and more lucrative means of support 

 than those to be had from the monotonous and toilsome life of a planter. 

 However, I will mention here all the products which Have been es- 

 sayed here. 



Coffee does excellently ; several large orchards full of these trees 

 are to be seen in and about the town [Nassau] ; they are growing well, 

 bearing heavily, and the beans are of the best taste. It is therefore 

 a matter of surprise that such plantations are not more general, since 

 the trees once set require little more attention. The sole cause of this 

 neglect is likely that some years must pass before any profit is to be 

 had from a plantation. 



The Suger-cane thrives here as well as in other of the Bahamas 

 where it has been tried. Several miles from the town a plantation had 

 been begun, a distillery set up, and rum prepared, but the undertaker 

 dying the work was given over. Of the quality and growth of the 

 cane there can be no doubt, but the rocky nature of the soil makes it 

 impossible to devote sufficiently large tracts to the culture ; the work 

 is therefore carried on at too great cost and difficulty, and the sugar 

 can not be got out at the same rate of outlay as that holding in the 

 other sugar islands near-by. On the other inhabited Bahama islands 



31 



