48 ISLES OF SUMMEE. 



Many gardens, orchards, and ornamental grounds are enclosed 

 with high walls made of this rock. These walls are stuccoed, 

 and covered on top with fragments of glass embedded in mortar, 

 all which impresses one with the conviction that petty larceny is 

 an offence not unknown upon this happy and innocent-looking 

 isle. 



Very many of the houses have large, heavy blinds on the sides 

 exposed to the street and the sun, Avhich enclose spacious piazzas, 

 and thus secure cool air and seclusion. The blinds, in connec- 

 tion with the garden walls, give them, to northern eyes, some- 

 thing of the appearance of Turkish harems, and the imjiression 

 is deepened by the additional fact that one seldom gets even a 

 glance at the beautiful ladies who are sujiposed to occupy these 

 pleasant homes. 



We are unable to give accurately the population of Nassau. 

 In 18G1, the population of the Bahamas Avas 35,287, of which 

 number 11,503 were upon the island of New Providence, and, 

 according to Gov. Eawson, "of these, upwards of 10,000 lived in 

 Nassau and its suburbs;" and as Grant's town and Bain's town, 

 two of the suburljs, then contained a population, the first of 

 2,308 and the second of 1,315, it left only 0,287 for Nassau. The 

 population of the Bahamas in 1871, according to Moseley's Al- 

 manac, was 30,102, an increase of a little less than 4,000. If 

 we allow Nassau and its sul)ui'bs their proportionate share of this 

 increase (one-third) and add an equal number for the increase 

 since 1871, it will make the present population of Nassau and its 

 suburbs between 12,000 and 12,700. There is, however, nothing 

 to indicate that there has been much addition to the white pop- 

 ulation of Nassau. 



Bay street monopolizes nearly all the business of the city, and 

 is its principal thorouglifare. 'It skirts the harbor, is shaded by 

 rows of almond trees, stretches east and west for several miles 



