FLOWERS. Ill 



of the hotel, and was greatly admired. Colored girls daily fre- 

 quented the court well supplied with beautiful boquets of flowers 

 of various kinds, and particularly of roses, to give to their friends 

 whose good will they wished to cultivate, or to exchange for the 

 money of the strangers. There is also to be seen a beautiful 

 running vine Avhich blooms about Christmas time, and for that 

 reason is called the Christmas flower. It is not a favorite with 

 the agriculturists of Nassau because of its rank and persistent 

 growth. 



Occupying conspicuous places in the flower borders in front of 

 the hotel were large clusters of rank growing lillies, whose bells, 

 suspended upon long stems, with silent eloquence spoke to the 

 mind and rang out peals of perfume upon the surrounding air. 

 They also grow wild upon the island. We were surprised to learn 

 that the healing balm of which squills are composed is obtained 

 from the bulbous roots of this species of lilly. The little negroes 

 are accustomed to steal these and other flowers belonging to the 

 hotel before they have time to fully mature, and with as inno- 

 cent a look as they can command, offer them at the court of the 

 hotel for sale. But while fully appreciating the delicious per- 

 fumes that gave such a charm to the soothing air, and the end- 

 less variety in form, habit of growth and color of the flowers, 

 we could not at times refrain from unfavorably contrastino- the 

 animal life of the Bahamas, with their flora, and to harbor the 

 thought which one of Shenstone's stanzas, slightly altered, ex- 

 presses : 



"Boast, favored islands, boast thy flowery stores, 

 Thy thousand hues by chomic suns refined, 

 'Tis n c the dress or mien the soul adores, 

 But the rich beauties of the immortal mind." 



The floral display upon the islands and in Florida was less 



