THE FLAMINGO 165 



board up, lie offered (for two pounds, but accepted two 

 dollars) to pilot us through a passage immediately north 

 of Andros, a route which promised to save us two days ; we 

 placed the ' ' Gloria ' ' in his hands with the result before 

 mentioned. We had abundant opportunity the next day to 

 visit the surrounding keys, but, aided by an exceptionally 

 high tide and much work at the capstan by the crew, and 

 various negroes who had been attracted by the mishap, the 

 "Gloria" was drawn inch by inch into deeper water. 

 Among our negro visitors was a gigantic fellow who ex- 

 plained that he was taking his wife and family he had a 

 boatful of children on a wedding trip ; the marriage cere- 

 mony having been deferred somewhat later than is cus- 

 tomary. 



The following day we reached Nichols Town, near the 

 northeast extremity of Andros. It is attractively situated 

 on high ground, with an abundance of cocoanuts along the 

 shore, and is inhabited by several hundred negroes and one 

 white man, who, hailing from London, seemed somewhat out 

 of his environment. We landed to send mail, and asking a 

 uniformed negro for the postoffice, were conducted to a 

 large, one-room building at the end of which, behind a 

 rather formidable looking desk, sat a yellow gentleman 

 the resident magistrate, so we learned. He was very digni- 

 fied, very reserved, very formal and, ignoring our inquiry 

 concerning out-going mail, proceeded to inquire whence 

 and how we had come, and whither we were going. We 

 were from Florida," we answered. "Ah, a foreign 

 country," he observed. Had we "made entry at the 

 Biminis?" "No." "At Nassau?" "No, this was our 

 first port"; whereupon this representative of King 

 Edward, in a voice vibrant with the authority of the whole 

 British Government, said, "Do you know, sirs, that you have 

 committed a great crime?" We expressed our horror and 

 protested our ignorance. What had we done ? We had 

 landed on English territory without calling at a duly 



