KO FACTORIES — THE MECHANIC ARTS. 123 



the juice has been extracted is used for fuel in making the sugar, 

 and is fed to stock. Some lime is put into the juice Avhen it is 

 boiled. Six men were employed in the mill we visited, who 

 worked from 5 o'clock in the morning until sundown. Each 

 horse grinds twice a da}', two hours at a time — making four 

 hours i^er day for each horse. The mill yields only one and a-half 

 barrels of sugar per day. It was made in Cincinnati, Ohio. One 

 of the other three mills on this island makes four barrels of sugar 

 per day. It is only quite recently, we believe, that sugar has 

 been made upon the island of New Providence. Commencing 

 in December, sugar-making continues four months. The sugar 

 seems of very fair quality. 



A marine railway for the repair of vessels is maintained upon 

 Hog Island, but we searched in vain for a single factory upon 

 any of the Bahamas, bearing the faintest resemblance to the 

 thousands that are found in every northern state. A very few 

 little shoj^s, like those often seen in small American villages, 

 where some of the simplest of the mechanic arts are practiced, 

 exist. But there is very little demand for skilled labor. We 

 have a photograph of a Nassau joiner shop. It is very roomy, 

 being located out-doors. It is well ventilated, having for its 

 ceiling the blue vault of heaven. It is stable, being founded 

 upon a rock. It is amply furnished and manned for the succes- 

 ful prosecution of a limited business, as it has a single joiner's 

 bencli and jack plane, wliich are in the sole possession and use 

 of one of the Queen's colored subjects. A negro, mounted upon 

 a rather unprepossessing looking mule, is the nearest approach 

 which the Bahamas have yet made towards establishing either a 

 steam or horse railroad. Telegraphs and telephones are of course 

 unknown. Nassau has been described to be " a city without 

 chimneys," though a few have been built for culinary purposes. 



A lady of our party having broken either the main-spring or 



