ipo Naturai. History Bulletin. 



ing communities, Mr. Solomon, is an old man now, having 

 served his queen for over a quarter of a century, and is a 

 type of the old-time English gentleman worthil}^ discharg- 

 ing his not unimportant duties, and held in respect b\' the 

 w^hole communit}', and in wholesome fear by the evil-doer. 

 He made our official business with him a pleasure instead of 

 a disagreeable task. Some of us w'ere allowed to inspect the 

 jail, which, as is usual, was guiltless of prisoners, and contained 

 nothing more terrible than some clothes which malefactors 

 are compelled to wear. The place had an air of habitual 

 desertion that was an index of the law abiding character of 

 the people. 



There are two churches in Harbor Island, one, the largest, 

 being Metliodist and the other Episcopalian, these two being 

 the onl\' denominations which have obtained any considerable 

 foot-hold in the Bahamas. On the island of San Salvador, or 

 '■Cat Island"' as it is more generally called. I once attended 

 service in an Episcopalian Church where the preacher, chor- 

 isters, and entire congregation with the exception of the 

 x'isitors, were negroes of the purest African type. As to the 

 morals of these negroes, from the information obtained by 

 me — whether reliable or net I can not say — it appears that 

 the\' are intensely religious, but as a writer once said concern- 

 ing them, '"thev are not inniioral. but mnnoral.'^ a distinction 

 that is often not made, but is nevertheless a fundamental one. 



The United States agent. Mr. Monroe, was exceedingh' 

 attentive and courteous during our stay, entertaining a number 

 of our party in a very delightful manner, and giving a good 

 deal of interesting information about the place. From another 

 source and upon a previous visit to these Islands, I heard of 

 an instance of the working of our diplomatic service in obscure 

 places that was. and for aught I know is 3et, a disgrace to the 

 United States Government. At that time the United States 

 had an alleged representative at a place called "The Cove"' 

 on the other side of Eleuthera, who kept a low doggery in 

 the town, and was so illiterate that he was unable to make 

 out his official papers. An entirely amicable arrangement 



