THE BAHAMAS AND BERMUDAS 291 



place called L , where the railroad strikes off inland, 



to make an excellent collection of corals from the ter- 

 race, while the locomotive was waiting for its right of 

 way. The officials of the mine were quite as interested 

 in that part of my visit as in anything else, and we got 

 crowbars, chisels, and all kinds of tools to cut out some 

 good-sized heads, which are now safely on board. There 

 are three parallel elevated terraces here off this part of 

 the coast, and from the highest, one hundred and sixty 

 feet above the level of the sea, I got some coral heads 

 also. If I have as good luck at Baracoa on the elevated 

 reefs there, and along the north coast, I shall have no 

 cause to complain. A day like yesterday goes far to ex- 

 plain a lot of things. 



I only wish we could stay out longer and not be 

 obliged to 2:0 in for coal and ice so often and waste so 

 much time in port. But I am thankful for what I have ; 

 it means simply a little less work and a good deal more 

 expense than if I had such a boat as the Albatross, 

 when you can stay out thirty days, and then spend no 

 more time fitting 1 out again than we do. The Messrs. 

 Brooks & Company, to whom I gave my letter of credit, 

 were most polite to us, and all the people here in charge 

 of anything have simply been devotion itself. But 

 everything in Spanish ports costs about twice as much 

 as in Nassau, and this is the last time I shall fit out in a 

 Spanish port, I hope. But what I have seen has fully 

 paid so far. I fancy this trip will cure me of any other 

 similar yachting cruise. It looks to me as if it were a 

 little too much for a private party." 



Again skirting the coast to Cape Maysi, and later, 

 on a trip along the north shore of Cuba, Agassiz was 



