Narrative of Bahama Expedition. 187 



Early in the morning of Friday, July 7th- our old friend 

 Egg Island was sighted. The wind was still ahead, and it 

 took us nearly all day to beat along the coast of Eleuthera to 

 Harbor Island. When opposite the town of Spanish Wells, a 

 small boat came out with a pilot, who proved to be an old 

 acquaintance of mine having been my boatman and general 

 factotum in 1888. He agreed to pilot us into Harbor Island. 

 A little bov of perhaps eight years, his nephew, had come out 

 with him in the sail-boat, and it was with no little surprise 

 that we heard Philip, the pilot, order the little fellow to take 

 the boat back to the port, some ten miles away. No wonder 

 the Bahamans make skillful boatmen, when little boys who 

 would, with us, scarcelv be out of the kindergarten, are com- 

 petent to handle a sail-boat with judgment and confidence. 



The entrance to the harbor at Harbor Island is about as 

 forbidding a looking channel as we sdw during our trip. At 

 one place there seemed barelv room for the vessel to pass 

 between the great masses of black rocks, where the tide was 

 rushing like a mill-race. The vessel got through about sun- 

 set, and her passengers were just congratulating themselves 

 on getting into harbor all right, when the schooner went hard 

 and fast aground on a sand-bar inside the harbor. Although 

 getting aground is always a serious matter with a vessel the 

 size of the "Emily E.Johnson," it would have been hard to 

 select a better place than the one where she rested that night, 

 the keel being supported throughout its length on fine coral 

 sand. Captain Flowers was naturally exasperated at the pilot 

 for his inexcusable blunder, but did not fl}' into a passion, as 

 most skippers would have done, so that our admiration for 

 him was increased, if possible, by the incident. It was flood 

 tide again at 2 a. 31., but the schooner did not budge, and 

 there was nothing to be done but occupy ourselves in collect-' 

 ing until the high tide in the afternoon. 



The bottom of the harbor was dotted with magnificent 

 specimens of Pcntaccros rcttculatus Linck, perhaps the most 

 conspicuous of American star-fishes. A large number of 

 these were brought on board, and a class organized vmder the 



