lO BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 



manding a fine view of the ocean and reefs. I was particularly 

 pleased with the drive to Fort Montague. The air was perfumed 

 by the myriads of flowers, which hung in festoons from the bushes 

 or peeped above the thick growth of cacti bordering the road. We 

 observed, as we drove along, many kinds of fruit growing in tropical 

 luxuriance; among them might be enumerated the banana, pineapple, 

 orange, sapodilla, cocoanut, and grape-fruits. Numbers of birds 

 were chattering among the trees, while an occasional flash among 

 the flowers revealed to the close observer the beautiful little Bahama 

 Humming-bird, as it hovered for a moment before dartino; out of sio-ht 

 amongst the foliage. Near Fort Montague some very good bathing- 

 houses have been erected, and a bath in the clear water during the 

 cool of the evening is very refreshing. 



Fort Fincastle, which is situated at the head of what is called 

 " The Queen's Staircase," is a curious old structure, now gradually 

 falling into decay. The staircase is one of the prettiest spots in 

 Nassau, consisting of a flight of steps cut in the rock, which rises 

 on both sides, in perpendicular walls, to the height of eighty or 

 ninety feet. The rock is overhung with creeping vines, giving it 

 the appearance of some moss-covered castle of feudal times, and the 

 effect is heightened by the well-worn steps leading to the summit. 

 When viewed from a certain position, the fort has the appearance of 

 an old steamboat; a lookout which has been built upon it heightens 

 the resemblance, as its position and appearance are that of a pilot-house. 



To strangers visiting these islands for the first time, the habits 

 and customs of the people are full of interest. The little negro boys, 



