294 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



On Board the Wild Duck, 

 Feb. 27, et seq., 1893. 



" We left Havana the 24th with a splendid day, which 

 enabled me to do a lot of deep-sea towing just outside 

 of Morro Castle in deep water, and most successful it 

 was. We had a splendid run to Salt Key Bank, visited 

 Cay Sal, double headed Shot Cay, where there is a fine 

 light on the English side of the Gulf Stream, and where 

 we have found a nice old Scotchman and his wife who 

 had not seen a soul for three months ! They live on a 

 bare rock, but the house is quite comfortable, and what 

 with goats and hens and fishing they manage to get a 

 little variety in their food. We left them some sugar, of 

 which they were out, to their great delight. We then 

 went to the southern islands of the Auguila Bank, and 

 from there crossed to the Great Bahama Bank again, 

 and to-day we have been exploring two points of the 

 Island which have been most interesting and instructive 

 and have given me just the clue I wanted to settle the 

 cause of the present configuration of the Bahamas, so 

 that the cruise has been eminently satisfactory. 



"... Since we left Andros we have had magnificent 

 weather; from Billy Island at the north end of the 

 Island, we crossed the bank to Orange Cay, and had as 

 smooth a day as we well could have and just enough 

 breeze to keep us cool. From Orange Cay we ran up to 

 Gun Cay, where we anchored for the night and exam- 

 ined the Island the next a.m. before startinjr. We then 

 steamed along a lot of islands which could be as well 

 examined from the deck as we passed, and landed next 

 at Great Isaac, one of the most interesting islands of 

 the group. It seemed to have a little of everything which 

 I wanted to see. Next came a lot of diminutive islets, 



