A WINTKK VISIT TO THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 213 



constant succession of delicious vegetables the" year round. 

 Instead of there being a dry and a rainy season, as is the case in 

 most tropical and semi-tropical countries, the showers hero fall at 

 intervals and the rainfall of the year is quite as uniformly 

 distributed during the several months and seasons as at the north, 

 and averages about two and a half inches per mouth, which is 

 fully adequate for perfect success in agriculture. 



The extreme transparency and brilliancy of the atmosphere and 

 sky is in great contrast to what we are accustomed to see at 

 home. The clouds soar high and are broken into fine masses with 

 magnificent contrasts of color. Even the waters combine to 

 challenge our admiration by the gorgeous hues which they present 

 to the delighted beholder. Looking from a height upon the broad 

 surface of the bay I have seen its waters' striped with creamy 

 white and brilliant pink, with broad areas of iutensest blue, 

 flecked with bright spots, till it has almost seemed to me that the 

 eye that designed our starry flag had at some time tarried among 

 these kaleidoscopic views and drawn its inspiration from their 

 glowing scenes. 



The harbor of Nassau is formed by a long, low, narrow island, 

 called euphoniously Hog Island, which lies to the north and 

 nearly parallel with the island of New Providence, the channel 

 between being from one-third to one-half of a mile wide, the 

 westerlj' end of which, having a depth of from fifteen to seventeen 

 feet, constitutes the proper harbor of Nassau. The bar before 

 mentioned, which projects to the Avestward, in a continuation of 

 Hog Island, and upon which the surf breaks constantly, will 

 ever be a serious impediment to modern commerce, although small 

 vessels enter without difficulty. 



The Bahamas comprise eighteen principal islands having a total 

 area of about 3,310,000 acres or pretty nearly three-fourths the 

 area of the State of Massachusetts. There are several hundred 

 small islands, or cays, of limited area, many of which are little 

 better than bare rocks. Of these islands the largest is Audros 

 Island, with a length of 90 miles, and an area of uearlj' 2,475 

 square miles. Abaco, Eleuthera, Great Bahama, Inagua and 

 San Salvador, have each an area of more than 100,000 acres. 

 The population of the whole group of islands was 43,521 in 1881, 

 New Providence has an area of perhaps 85 square miles and 

 according to the enumeration of 1881, a population of 11,650, most 



