THE BASA:^rAS. 35 



around the islands is usually that of the aqica-marine of beryl." 

 On its western edge, and skirting the Great Bank lies Andros 

 island, much the largest of the grou]), being ninety-five miles 

 long and having a maximum width of thirty-eight miles. 



The Berry islands are north-east of Andros ; they are arranged 

 in the form of a crescent. The horns point to tlie east, and arc 

 separated by a distance of some forty miles. The south-Avest 

 shore of Abaco, on the opposite side of the north-west Providence 

 Channel, is only thirty miles distant from these little islands. 



The Biminis are two small islands rendered famous from the 

 fact that the Fountain of Youth was reported, in the time of 

 Ponce de Leon, to be located upon one of them. They are 

 twenty-five miles south of the north-western portion of the 

 Great Bahama Bunk, and arc described as ''small, pretty and 

 fertile." 



The Santareen and Old Bahama Channels are south of the 

 Great Bahama Bank. AYest of the former is situated tlie Cay 

 Sal Bank, embracing fourteen hundred and thirty square miles, 

 including some uninhabited Keys; while south of the latter 

 channel is the island of Cuba. 



Gov. Eawson states that '"'all the trade from North America 

 to Cuba, St. Domingo, Jamaica, the Gulf of Honduras, and the 

 northern coast of South America passes south to the windward 

 [/'. e. east] of the group, and close to the shores of Inagua. 

 'i'iie return trade, and all the European trade from the same 

 countries passes north, either through the Crooked Island pas- 

 sages, or the Inagua or Caicos Channels. These islands there- 

 fore lie in the track of tv;o great streams of trade, and, at times, 

 scores of vessels i)ass daily by the 'Ilole-in-the-Wall,' and the 

 south western point of Inagua." 



New Providence, ui)on which Nassau is situated, is upon the 

 northern edge of the Great Bahama Bank, fifty miles south-west 



